Scores of representatives from 56 countries are attending Cuba’s International Tourism Convention that kicked off Monday in Varadero with the presentation of Jardines del Rey –one of the fastest-developing travel destinations on the island- as well as the promotion of culture as a tourist product and the British market. Rebecca Jara, chief of promotional and advertisement policy for the nation’s Tourism Ministry, noted the event gives marketing managers and execs from all the participating countries an opportunity to take a firsthand look at the entire tourist diversity that such a culture-laden nation as Cuba has to offer.

Hydraulic Engineer Carlos Menendez is deputy director-general of Aguas de La Habana (ALH), a company in charge of providing the Cuban capital´s water supply. Indeed, ALH is a joint venture made up of Cuba´s Institute of Hydraulic Resources and Spain-based company Aguas de Barcelona, the merger´s technological provider and operator. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. Menendez said his enterprise´s main task is to guarantee a further improvement of the service by stepping up quality and round-the-clock stability. ALH started operating on April 1, 2000 and since then it has taken responsibility for the management of Havana´s aqueducts and sewerage systems, as well as the outlining of a strategy to clinch a sustained improvement of all services in an effort to make them up to par with the world´s most efficient and modern water supply systems.

Jose Manuel Marti Nuñez de Castro of Raytur Caribe S.A. will soon take over as general manager of the Presidente Hotel, a landmark of the Cuban capital. Malaga-based Raytur Caribe S.A. is a fledgling company that came into being in 1993. Since then, it’s dealt with comprehensive advisory on tourism, travel and hotel management. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News, Mr. Nuñez de Castro talked about how pleased he is in taking on this new position that –in his own words- stands for a major challenge in his career given that the Presidente Hotel has a longstanding record of good service and is one of Havana’s flagship lodgings. The point now is –he says- try to win back that image and the privileged notch it enjoyed for so many years. “So, there’s a long way to go,” Mr. Nuñez de Castro adds. On the other hand, the new General Manager believes this experience will give him ample opportunity to confront –on this side of the Big Deep- the work he’s conducted in other regions like t

We talked to Juan Candeal, general manager of the Occidental Miramar Hotel in the bustling Havana neighborhood of Miramar. This professional with a vast and successful career in hotel management under his belt, is part of Occidental Hotel’s team that is now in charge of leading an all-out overhaul in this modern lodging facility of the Cuban capital. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News, Mr. Candeal gives a detailed explanation of this transformation process now underway, the new challenges on the road ahead and the philosophy behind this major renovation. He also refers to the immediate projects that he and his team will be carrying out in the process and reveals some interesting information about Occidental Hotels.

Armando Gonzalez Gonzalez is both enthused and upbeat about his new job in an airline he´s been working for over the last 16 years in a number of posts, including representative of passenger traffic operations at the airports of Puerto Escondido, Cancun, Morelia and other Mexican cities. He´s always been very close to customers every step of the way and, for him, that´s of the greatest significance because he likes spending time with passengers. Mr. Gonzalez says that assisting and listening to fliers is a magnificent opportunity for his company. Moreover, he admits to be fully aware of the tremendous responsibility about his new job in Cuba, a country he´s been very linked to and looks up at, especially for its cultural and educational levels. In the course of the ongoing year -he adds- Mexicana de Aviacion intends to increase the flow of Havana-bound passengers, as well as to keep a daily flight to the island nation. Also in the first half of this year, the carrier is bent on bringin

Founded to promote the Cuban destination in Guatemala, these two companies –led by Mrs. Aracelia de Coronado- have enhanced their markets, now offering trips to different countries, especially to Mexico’s Cancun, the U.S., El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and, of course, Cuba. The island nation –she says- remains high on the list of top travel choices. Both companies target the conventional tourism segment, though they also reach out to business travel, conventions and other specialties. There are plans in the offing to include scuba diving as an alternative for those willing to take on underwater adventures.