CubaPLUS Magazine

Weddings are increasingly becoming a popular tourism modality. It's estimated that approximately 340,000 nuptial ceremonies are held worldwide each year, attended not only by the bride and groom but also by family and numerous friends.

Prominent Caribbean academics and artists will analyze Cuba's role in the region as part of the Carifesta program in Barbados, the Organizing Committee announced today. Carifesta, the region's foremost cultural event, will host a discussion this Sunday focusing on Cuba's relationship with the wider Caribbean. Entitled "Speaking of Cuba and Fidel," the event, according to organizers, will provide an opportunity for collective reflection on the island as a political, artistic, and ideological point of reference.

Gran Retto, a highly anticipated swimming competition among open water enthusiasts, will once again take place in the Cuban resort of Varadero on September 13th and 14th of this year. The event is expected to draw around 600 competitors from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, Germany, and Cuba. The announcement, released in a press statement by the event's official tour operator, the International Group of Tour Operators and Travel Agencies Havanatur S.A., cites information from the Marketing Director of Cubadeportes, Ediunys Carrazana.

The Timbalaye La Ruta de la Rumba International Festival, that will open on August 25 and is dedicated to the influence of the Congo, will include various performances, theoretical panels, visits to educational centers, and craft exhibitions.

Last July, Cuba welcomed 50,083 Canadian tourists, marking a significant increase compared to previous years. According to Lessner Gómez, Tourism Counselor for Cuba in Canada, this represents a substantial growth of 112,324% compared to the same period in 2024. This information, released by the Ministry of Tourism's Sol de Cuba magazine, indicates that this surge aligns with the Cuban tourism sector's efforts to revitalize its primary market: Canada.

Blue Diamond Resorts, the Canadian hotel group formerly known by that name, has rebranded as Royalton Hotels & Resorts. The change, however, does not alter its core identity, but rather represents a strategic alignment of its portfolio to highlight the strength and recognition of the Royalton brand, according to President Jordi Pelfor.

The traditional practice of casabe took center stage at a discussion this Friday regarding its 2024 inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The panel was presided over by Anne Lemaistre, Director of the Regional Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Dulce María Buergo, President of the Cuban UNESCO Commission; and Sonya Virgen Pérez, President of the National Council of Cultural Heritage.

This year's International Rumba Festival, Timbalaye, shines a spotlight on the voices of the Congos, brought from Africa, and the rich cultural legacy of this ethnic group, according to event organizers. The 17th edition of the festival, themed "Rumba Route," will take place from August 25th to 31st, under the slogan "Hay un congo cara" (There's a Congo Face), aiming to "convey that vibrant essence throughout all provinces," explained Irma Castillo, Vice President of Timbalaye. The ancestral voices of the Congos in rumba will be the central focus of this year's festival, to which the event is dedicated, she noted.

The newly established Slovakian-Cuban joint venture, Baracocoa S.A., is poised to revolutionize chocolate production on the island. Dariel Lamadrid Martín, President of Alimentos y Bebidas S.A. (Alimcor S.A.), told CubaPLUS that the investment, spearheaded by the foreign partner, will drive technological innovation and enable the production of high-quality cocoa derivatives. This initiative, he continued, will facilitate the introduction of these products into the international market. Crucially, the project provides essential financing to support cocoa production within the Guantánamo region. A portion of the investment is specifically earmarked for integrating with the agricultural sector, providing resources to enhance cocoa yields.

Under the evocative name of Baracocoa S.A., a new joint venture has been established between the Cuban company Alimentos S.A. (Alimcor S.A.) and Proxperia a.s. of Slovakia. The venture will focus on processing, producing, and marketing chocolates across a full range of assortments, as well as cacao derivatives, mixtures, pastes, and related fats.

In the western Cuban province of Matanzas, the ruins of the La Dionisia coffee plantation, a site that bears the mark of the migration of French settlers to Cuba, stand stubbornly still, as ancient buildings insist on being testimonies of the past. This site bears the mark of the migration of French settlers to Cuba, at a time when numerous coffee farms sprang up in different parts of the island, using slave labor to cultivate the valuable coffee.

Just over an hour's drive north of the colonial city of Camagüey lies one of Cuba's most beautiful beaches: Santa Lucía. Here, crystal-clear jade waters and pristine white sands dotted with coconut palms stretch along 20 kilometers of the northern coast of this province.

Worldwide, there are approximately 50 wax museums showcasing figures of famous personalities. Despite being a relatively small island, Cuba proudly boasts its own gallery featuring figures crafted by skilled hands, using beeswax to depict renowned figures in national and even international arts. Inaugurated on July 14, 2004, as a small gallery in the eastern city of Bayamo, it officially became known as the Wax Museum on December 29, 2007. To the pride of the residents of this historic and legendary city, cradle of the Cuban National Anthem (1868), the artistic and original Bayamo Wax Museum has earned national recognition and continues to be the first and only museum of its kind in Cuba.

The Cubanacan hotel group, a leading player in Cuban tourism, will host the second edition of its "Motivos Cubanacan" event this coming November. The event, dedicated to eastern Cuba, aims to showcase and promote the region's beauty and attractions, thereby stimulating tourist interest in vacationing on the island. The announcement was made this Tuesday by Yaima Suarez, Vice President of the group, on the occasion of the entity's 38th anniversary, celebrated at the Iberostar Selection Parque Central hotel in Havana.

Every August 5th, the Cubanacan Hotel Group has the pleasure of celebrating another anniversary, this time its 38th, with the certainty of having succeeded in offering its clients an increasingly high-quality service to satisfy even the smallest requirements. "Today, with the pride of those who have built dreams on the sand and the warmth of our sun, #CubanacanHoteles celebrates 38 years of hospitality, tradition, and unforgettable memories," the entity states on its Facebook page.

A therapeutic care program for people with neurological development disorders is advancing at the dolphinarium in Cayo Guillermo, in the Jardines del Rey tourist destination, north of the province of Ciego de Ávila. The initiative, in collaboration with Cuban Medical Services (SMC), consists of dolphin-assisted interventions for children and adults with special needs, said Annys Sánchez, head of the facility. She added that the interaction with the aquatic mammals is carried out by specialized medical personnel and highly qualified trainers, which constitutes a wonderful experience for both tourists and therapists.

Between the small town of Cayajabos and kilometer 47 of the Havana-Pinar del Río National Highway lies Rancho Charco Azul, a wonderful spot for birdwatchers, hikers, and horseback riders. The site, which now belongs to the National Wildlife Protection Agency (ENPPFF), has a centuries-old history.

The Fernando Alonso National Ballet School highlighted the top awards obtained by three Cuban students at the XII South African International Ballet Competition.

Cuba will compete with eight representatives in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Championships, to be held from August 15th to 17th in Freeport, Bahamas, as reported this Wednesday by the weekly publication Jit.

If you're seeking a peaceful vacation, far from the stress of city life, for a truly restorative break, nothing beats nature. And you'll find those conditions at the Muthu Segundo Frente hotel, surrounded by unparalleled landscapes, in the vicinity of the Sierra Cristal mountain range in eastern Santiago de Cuba.