HAVANA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cuban entrepreneur Elder Gonzalez enjoyed reliable Internet access while visiting the seaside resort of Varadero, located some 140 km east of Havana.
The 38-year-old, who traveled with his wife and daughter, told Xinhua that hotel Wi-Fi had been good during his three-day stay in the most popular tourist destination on the island.
"Internet connectivity has very much improved in hotel facilities in Varadero. I very much enjoyed posting pictures on social media while lying on the beach," he said.
Mexican tourist Gabriela Rodriguez, who has visited the Caribbean nation several times, said that the digitization of Cuban hotel facilities continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
"I have been traveling to Cuba for quite some time," she said. "Digital platforms are expanding here. I do not feel disconnected from the rest of the world when visiting this country."
The improved Internet connectivity is thanks to the Computerization of the Cuban Society program that is underway.
According to the Cuban Ministry of Communications, over 70 percent of the country's 11.2 million population has Internet access.
Cuban Deputy Minister of Tourism Alberto Venero said that the local tourism industry accounts for roughly 30 percent of the country's points of sale devices.
"We have wireless points of sales, which are backed by 4G technology, " he said. "This is very reliable for clients and facilitates sales management."
Pavel Pavon, director of technologies and systems at the Tourism Ministry (MINTUR), said that infrastructure, e-government, and cybersecurity have been pillars of tourism sector transformation in Cuba since 2017.
"In this new stage, we are promoting smart tourist destinations as part of a growing trend in the management of this type of market," he said on state TV.
According to MINTUR, roughly 80 percent of Cuban hotels have Internet access in all areas.
In addition to that, the ministry has launched Varadero Digital, a project aimed at transforming the country's most popular resort into a smart city by 2025.
The Cuban government is estimated to receive 3.5 million tourists by year's end.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cuban tourism industry accounted for over 10 percent of the country's GDP.
