CubaPLUS Magazine

Six accommodations operated by Meliá Hotels International in Cuba are among the candidates for the 2025 World Travel Awards, renowned international awards that this year reach their thirty-second edition, according to information published this Tuesday by the Spanish entity. Meliá Cohíba and Meliá Cayo Coco -both five-star hotels- are nominated as Cuba's Leading Hotel, while as Cuba's Leading Resort there are two jewels of Caribbean luxury: Paradisus Varadero and Paradisus Princesa del Mar.

Cuba celebrates Hotel and Tourism Workers' Day on Tuesday, with the country's highest authorities calling for innovative initiatives to improve the sector and generate more income. Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero considered this force crucial for the revival of the national economy, which is experiencing adversities due to the tightening of the US blockade.

In the context of World Seagrass Day, Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma) in Camagüey continues today to strengthen its work for the conservation of these vital marine ecosystems in Cuba. Precisely in the country’s largest province, which occupies more than 20 percent of its beaches, this activity is essential for the environmental balance and protection of Cuba’s coasts.

Cuban culture is mourning the death of one who was an icon of popular music on the island, Paulito FG, the “smotherer of salsa.”

The traditional auction of humidors associated with the 25th Habano Festival raised 16,410,000 euros, whose destination will be the Cuban Public Health system, as was announced. The auction took place at the Pabexpo fairgrounds in Havana during the Gala Dinner that closes the Festival, which was attended by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, the Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) reported.

The electronic music festival “Women by Eyeife”, a tribute from Cuba to female creativity and for gender equality, will take place on March 7 and 8 at Fábrica de Arte Cubano, in Havana.

With celebrations held over three months for the 40th anniversary, including more than 200 exhibitions, dozens of workshops, conferences and more, the XV Havana Biennial came to an end this Friday.

The positive results from the II International Sports Fair, organized this week in the Cuban capital, are now taking up space in the sports press of the Island. "The professional phase was satisfactory due to the fulfillment of the proposed objectives," assured the digital publication Jit. Yadira González, general director of the commercial company Cubadeportes S.A., said this after the closing of the professional segment of the event yesterday.

Iberostar Selection Havana opens its doors to enjoy ¨impressive views of the city", the Spanish hotel chain announced on its Facebook social network this Tuesday. After a little more than six years of construction, the new Iberostar Cuba Hotels & Resorts hotel was finally inaugurated in the Cuban capital, bringing the number of hotels operated by the chain in Havana to 5, for a total of 20 in the country, and it is the tallest in the entire national territory with 42 floors and 594 rooms.

Cuba is attending the Anato Tourism Showcase, the most important event of the leisure industry held in Colombia, with the intention of strengthening the flow of tourists from Latin America to Cuba. This was stated exclusively to Prensa Latina by Cuban Deputy Minister of Tourism Yamily Aldama, who heads a delegation made up of 17 people representing Cuban companies and international hotel chains operating in the Caribbean nation.

From March 11 to 13, the Cuban resort city of Varadero will host the World Youth Summit of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). According to the website www.radio26.cu, the summit, to be held at the Meliá Internacional Varadero Hotel, will become an opportunity to amplify the voices of young people in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).

The leader in the global travel industry, Enjoy Travel Group, reported today it is continuing to strengthen its activity both in Cuba and in important venues around the world. The Spanish company is promoting its global expansion with its participation in The Outdoor Adventure Show, it stressed in a statement distributed in Havana on Tuesday. It insisted on being a leader in the travel industry, particularly for the Caribbean and Latin America, and its strengthening is currently seen through its participation in The Outdoor Adventure Show, the most important adventure travel fair in Canada, which concluded over the weekend at the Toronto Centre.

Cuba is currently betting on bringing international tourism back on track, so as to make of it the “locomotive” of the island’s economy, as it used to be called a few years back. Quoted on Tuesday by Granma newspaper, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero emphasized the need for all local sectors to work together to that aim, as he assessed the sector’s performance in 2024 and its perspectives in 2025 at a meeting in Havana. Referring to last year, he said tourism had to deal with the tightening of the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed by the United States Government.

Cuba and Italy will present here the international Green Line project, whose objective is to promote healthy nutrition, food sovereignty and renewable energy in communities in western Cuba. According to the official statement from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the Green Line – Renewable Energy Communities and Food Sovereignty initiative is also led by the Center for Research on Protein Plants (CIPB).

Havana Club International S.A. will dedicate its presence at the XXV Habanos Festival to the art of innovation behind its Iconic Collection, which embodies the brand's most exclusive creations and strengthens its global seal of excellence. A press release distributed this Monday by the entity indicates that each of the rums in this collection is an icon in itself, on this occasion, with a renewed image. Each piece, it adds, is an authentic work of art, the result of a rich and exciting legacy. Products that embody passion and mastery, thanks also to natural aging and blending techniques perfected over the centuries.

The Meliá Cohíba hotel, one of the icons of hospitality in Havana, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this Monday. Over the years, it has witnessed the development of tourism in the island and today maintains its position as a benchmark for service and commitment to Cuban culture. Located in the central neighborhood of El Vedado, the hotel has welcomed numerous internationally renowned personalities, including heads of state from Japan and Canada; members of the Chanel haute couture house and artists such as Robert De Niro, Ron Perlman, Helen Hunt, Victor Manuel, Pedro Fernandez and Ozzy Osbourne.

Results in the health sector of the central Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus, mark today relevant advances, among them in the treatment of cancer patients. According to Prensa Latina, in the Chemotherapy room of the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital, this disease in non-small cells in advanced stages is treated with the Cuban vaccine CIMAvax-EGF®, the only one of its kind in the world. The drug, produced by the Molecular Immunology Center, is administered to patients, after verifying whether they meet the requirements to receive the immunogen.

The tour guide is the face, the image of a country for vacationers who visit a certain destination, hence the importance of the work of this professional who in one way or another often sacrifices his personal life to accompany the visitors without sparing time.

"The Magic of Behike" is the title of a three-episode documentary series produced by Habanos S. A. and the American businessman and content creator Kirby Allison on the history and meticulous artisanal production process behind Cohiba Behike, the most exclusive Habano in the world, in commemoration of its 15th anniversary. Information released this Thursday by the entity adds that this production is not just a documentary; it is a celebration of tradition, mastery and excellence that through collaboration with Allison, invites fans to embark on an unprecedented journey to the heart of Cohiba Behike, from its origin to its consecration as a symbol of prestige and distinction.

The Latin Music Institute (ILM) celebrates its 104th anniversary this Friday, working hard with the same energy that saw it born in defense, at all costs, of Latin music to contribute to its dissemination and development in the region and the world.