HAVANA, Cuba.- Cuba’s tourism sector showed a 5.3 percent growth at the end of first quarter of 2012 when over 950 000 visitors arrived in the country, confirmed the National Bureau of Statistics and Information (ONE by its Spanish acronym).

According to ONE’s website, 48 214 more visitors arrived than during the same period of 2011 and particularly in March when Cuba achieved a sustained increase compared with January and February, and with the same month in the last three years, with the arrival of more than 300 900 tourists.

According to specialists, a fact that contributed to these indicators was the recent visit to Cuba of Pope Benedict XVI, who is always accompanied by a considerable number of believers wherever he travels.

Experts also emphasized that the strong Authentic Cuba promotional campaign, carried out by the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) at fairs and tours of Latin American and European, has allowed greater advertising of the Cuban products and events like the recent Varadero Gourmet Festival.

Mintur reported in the first week of April the arrival in Cuba of the millionth foreign tourist, five days ahead of schedule.

Canada remains the largest emitting market of tourists to the island, followed by Argentina, France, Italy, UK, Germany and Russia, and Spain, Mexico and Chile.

This Saturday the week of Campeche in Havana wrapped up, while Cuba gets ready for the coming XXXII Cuba's Tourism Fair FITCUBA 2012, which will be held at Cayo Santa Maria on May 8-11.