HAVANA, March 17 (Xinhua) — New hotels have popped up across Cuba during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Caribbean island continues to bet on tourism to drive economic growth.
Maria Rodriguez, who runs a traditional restaurant in central Havana, an area once bustling with foreign tourists taking snapshots of the eclectic architecture, hopes the newly-opened hotels will attract visitors and help with the economic recovery.
“We need more tourists to arrive in Cuba,” said Rodriguez, 32. “The pandemic will not last forever. The hotels are a stake in the future of this country.”
Earlier this week, the Cuban government opened the Grand Aston La Habana Hotel in the city’s entertainment district. Overlooking Havana’s famed seafront, the Malecon, the 600-room four-star hotel features panoramic views of the ocean.
Other hotels are in different stages of development in colonial towns and seaside resorts throughout Cuba, to boost the range of accommodations and services available.
Victor Manuel…