During the opening in Hanoi, Viet Nam, of a seminar on the significance of tourism for the socio-economic development of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Rifai said that Cuba is on the right track and should get ready for more, Prensa Latina news agency reports.

Rifai, who admires Cuba’s natural beauty, is known for his commitment to environmentally-friendly policies and for promoting the exploitation of new potentially beneficial tourist offers.

In this regard, he praised the recovery of Havana’s cultural and architectural richness as a way to break the cliché that the island is only a sun and beach destination.

Rifai added that Cuba’s tourism is undergoing an impressive renovation with a better exploitation of its image and nature but, he pointed out, it has to be prepared for an eventual opening of the US market.