Havana, December 21 (RHC)-- The Italian airline Meridiana began Monday its flights to Cuba to connect the Italian city of Verona, Cuba's Havana and Cancun in Mexico, in code-sharing with Blue Panorama, Cuba's Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) reported.

According to MINTUR, the weekly Verona-Havana-Cancun route is in response a growing interest among Italian vacationers in Cuba's tourist attractions, as well as its rich nature, culture and history.

Also in code-sharing with Blue Panorama, the Italian airliner began Sunday to operate weekly charter flights, connecting Milan with Cuba's Santa Clara province and the world famous Varadero beach resort.

According to data provided by the Cuban Tourism Ministry, the arrival of Italian tourists to Cuba experienced a 17.5 increase between January and September 2015, compared to the same period last year.