TORONTO — Cuba has reached the one million mark for Canadian visitors – and it reached that milestone on Dec. 4, the exact same day it hit the million mark last year.

The buoyant performance from the Canadian market follows in the footsteps of a very strong 2018, says Lessner Gomez, Director of the Cuba Tourist Board.

“Coming off of the highly anticipated Havana 500 celebrations, there is a heightened excitement and energy in the air,” said Lessner Gomez, Director of the Cuba Tourist Board. “We are both excited and humbled to have had the opportunity to accommodate so many guests in 2019 and look forward to sharing the unique spirit of Cuba with more of our Canadian friends in 2020.”

Gomez and other Cuban tourism officials have confirmed that Cuba is ready and its resorts are open for Canadian vacationers for winter 2019-2020. Amid reports that fuel shortages were impacting resort operations, Cuba’s Tourism Minister, Manuel Marrero, travelled to Canada this past October to set the record straight.

Later in the month, at the Autentica Cuba travel agent dinner and trade show in Toronto, Gomez reminded agents that by the end of 2019 Cuba will have some 4,000 new resort rooms, with more on the way for 2020. New and renovated hotels and resorts include the SO/ Paseo del Prado La Habana; the Melia Internacional (formerly the historic Internacional), Gran Hotel Bristol by Kempinski, Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski, Paradisus Los Cayos and Grand Muthu.

Gomez took up his new post at the Cuba Tourist Board in October.