European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 23, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 kit it the stars and stripes june 1985 huge patriotic mural on a Havana High Rise after decade of rising living Calls for a general a photo enticing tourists to Cuba by Jane Bussey United press International a bastion of socialist revolution in the new has joined the list of Caribbean islands trying to entice foreign tourists to its White Sand shimmering Emerald Waters and colonial Cuba launched its first promotional Campaign to at tract tourists with their foreign currency in cuban officials claim it is increasingly Fidel Castro and the revolution were Well known but people did not recognize Cuba As a tourist with said Jesus Jimenez vice president of the cuban tourism of the first we grew by 26 percent Between 1983 and in both the number of tourists and Jimenez Escobar we believe that the weight of the heavy tourism has still not reached he adding that the tourism Institute expects the number of visitors to grow by 20 percent to 25 percent until the next one mexican woman said she went to Cuba recently on her honeymoon because she had some sympathy for the revolution and the Price for two for a less than half of the Cost of a mexican resort such As but she said the country was not geared to tourism meals take hours to be and waiters answer words of thanks with the surly it is my i get the impression that they do not really care if the tourist is Happy or they care that they leave said the who asked to remain the Industry nets the country an estimated s76 million for hotels and and by the 1990s the government Hopes the Industry will be the 2 earner of foreign currency after sugar some foreign tourists visited Cuba last year 84 or people from West Italy and the rest from the soviet Union and other Eastern bloc to combat Cubas Lack of experience with foreign a Spanish hotel Chain has signed an agreement to train cubans in tourism administration and services and build additional hotel space in the tourism official said that very few americans visit the mostly journalists and those on official since the Reagan administration reimposed travel restrictions that were by former president Carter in entering old Havana is like a step Back several dec Ades or because the lean years after the 1959 cuban revolution prevented new few of the old buildings have been torn Vintage cars from the 1940s and 1950s in mint condition travel in the uncrowded there Are few advertising billboards and almost no store signs to remind the visitors of the old where paint peels from most build has seen a major restoration Campaign in the last two years after the United nations education and science organization declared it Patrimony of Cuba also offers sparkling White Sand beaches in the most famous Beach resort of 60 Miles East of Havana along the prize Dee sea fishing in the same area and scuba diving off the Southern particularly on the Island of in visitors can tour the House where writer Ernest Hemingway once or visit the famous Tropi Cana night club or la Bode Guita de in a restau ran bar frequented by Hemingway and other literary figures and now one of the islands main tourist attract Cuba plans to build eight hotels with 200 new rooms in Paradero Over the next few years at a Cost of while restoration of Havana hotels is estimated to Cost to promote the cuban government has opened tourist offices in Italy and spam and plans to open them in Argentina and Venezu Ela this in Cubana airlines is inaugurating a flight to Brussels in Hopes of tapping the scandinavian Market today Well heeled visitors from Western countries sporting expensive watches and clothes walk the streets of offering a Sharp contrast to the cloth ing available to the average Jimenez Escobar says the government does not believe the visitors will Spur cuban tastes for consumer we have not thought about that the influence Jimenez Escobar we All Are trying hard so that this will not be a consumer last Cuba started trying to attract cruise most of Hose that ply the Caribbean carry americans from ports along the Eastern but there Are also ships operating out of Europe and latin last eight or nine cruise ships called at either Havana or the Southern coastal City of Santiago de Cuba this 17 Are to fully take advantage of the chances to sell Tours