Havana, March 4 (RHC)-- Five days ahead of the same period last year, Cuba reached one million tourist arrivals Sunday, said Manuel Marrero Cruz, Cuban minister of Tourism, in his twitter account.

The minister added that workers of the so-called smokeless industry are thus ratifying their commitment to exceed five million visitors, convinced of the contribution to the island´s economic growth and its establishment as a destination for peace, health and safety.

This year Havana was selected as the best destination and cruise port in the western Caribbean and the Mayan Riviera, while the specialized web portal TripAdvisor selected Varadero as the second best beach in the world.

Last December Marrero Cruz said that 2019 will be a challenge for tourism, and all business institutions have prepared a plan, not based on the insufficiencies they had in 2018, but on the existing potential.

The tourism official stressed that to surpass the five million 100 thousand visitors mark, will mean a growth of 7.4 during a period of much movement due, among other reasons, to the actions that will be undertaken on the occasion of the 500 years of Havana, the International Fair of Tourism, and the extensive investment process that is taking place throughout the country.