Havana, February 1 (RHC-NNN) -- Cuba's famous beach resort of Varadero, on the Hicacos Peninsula, is preparing itself for more tourists with three new hotels, a water park and an 18-hole golf course, among other projects.

It is visited by more than a third of foreigners who come to Cuba. In 2015, 1.35 million tourists visited the resort, a 14.2 percent increase compared with the previous year. Canada is the main source of tourists to the Caribbean resort, followed by Germany.

Seaside resorts are key to the development of Cuba's tourism industry, the island's second-largest foreign currency earner after the export of technical and professional services.

Since 2012, the island has registered a steady increase in visitor arrivals, which has made seaside resorts one of the most important growth engines for the Cuban economy. Tourism is a strategic sector in Cuban leader Raul Castro's reform plans to revive the country's economy.