(Havana) More than 2.2 million tourists visited Cuba in 2022, an increase of almost 400% compared to the previous year still marked by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the Office announced on Thursday. Cuban Statistics (ONEI).
From January “until December 2,277,978 travelers were welcomed, which represents an increase of 396.9% compared to the same period of the year 2021”, indicated the ONEI in a note published Thursday evening on its website.
Among these tourists, 1.6 million were foreigners, specifies the text, an increase of 452% compared to 2021.
Canadians represent the largest contingent of international travellers, ie 532,000 people, followed by Cubans abroad (330,000) and then Americans (100,000).
Cuba, which has 11.1 million inhabitants, is counting on tourism, a provider of foreign currency, to revive its economy hard hit by inflation, the consequences of the pandemic and the strengthening of American sanctions under Donald Trump (2017-2021 ), barely softened by his successor Joe Biden.
The Cuban government had initially expected 2.5 million tourists in 2022, before revising its target downwards in October, to 1.7 million.
In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 4.2 million tourists visited the Caribbean’s largest island. That same year, tourism brought in $2.6 billion in revenue to Cuba.