DTcuba.com

Havana.- The Cuban coastal resort of Varadero, in western Matanzas province, reported an increase in tourist arrivals during the first semester of 2003.

Tourist official in Varadero pointed out that 400,000 foreign vacationers, accounting for 40 percent of travelers who arrived in the country from January to June, visited that coastal resort during the said period. Add to these results improved efficiency and saving measures.

Both revenues and profits increased during the period, and experts predict a successful season by this year’s end.

Varadero, 140 kilometers (87 miles) east of Havana, has 14,000 rooms distributed in 50 high-quality hotels.

Four hotels, totaling 1,600 rooms, will be completed in 2004, incorporating new brands such as Gran Lido, which belongs to the Jamaican chain Superclub, and Palace, owned by the Spanish consortium Iberostar.