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When Christopher Columbus proclaimed Cuba to be "the most beautiful land eyes have ever seen", it is hardly a wonder that in Cuba, tourism is one of the most important industries.
The lands of Cuba have given humanity the refreshing mojito cocktail and the distinctive sound of Latin Jazz music, along with scenery that amazes in its diversity and beauty.
Most people who visit Cuba would agree with Columbus that the country truly is a feast for the eyes, whether you are diving the coral reef, watching the sunset on the beach or taking in the views from the highlands.
Cuba tourism focuses on making the most of its natural assets. Step back to a time past in one of the colonial cities, explore the incredible flora and fauna that cannot be found elsewhere in the world or visit the many bays and coves of the island by boat.
For the first part of the 20th century Cuba was the top tourist destination in the Caribbean, mostly due to its proximity to the United States which at that time had a ban on alcohol and by the middle of the century was known as the Latin American version of Las Vegas.
At this time (the beginning of the 1960's), 80% of tourists to Cuba were from America, so when America declared that travel to Cuba be against foreign policy due to fears of instability in the country from the Cuban revolution, the market fell practically flat and took almost 30 years to recover itself.
The last decade of the century saw renewed investment in the industry and interest from Mexican and European tourists as Americans remained banned from visiting. Those who visited from the United States had to organize their illegal journeys to Cuba by flying from Canada or Mexico (which they still do as the ban on visiting remains).
Unfortunately, investment in the Cuba's tourism industry is not an ongoing project which has meant that many buildings have not been restored and so fallen into disrepair. Despite this, many who visit Cuba say that it adds to the charm of the country being a small step back in time, rather than going on holiday to somewhere that could be almost any resort in the Caribbean.
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