Air China begins flights to Havana, Cuba on 28 September 2015. This opens up opportunities for local travel business to lure Chinese tourists to the Dominican Republic. Cubana de Aviacion and Cubajet offer connecting flights from Cuba to Santo Domingo. Granma newspaper in Cuba reports that the new flight could turn Havana into a hub for Chinese visitors traveling to other parts of Latin America.
Cuba will become only the fourth country that Air China flies to in the Americas. The others are the United States (six airports), Brazil (nine airports) and Canada (six airports).
The Air China flight will start three times a week from Beijing to Havana with a stop to refuel in Montreal. The flight will significantly cut down on travel time for Chinese tourists interested in visiting the Caribbean, as reported by Xinhua News.
Chinese travel to Cuba in 2014 was 28,000 travelers, up 27% more than in 2013 according to Cuba’s statistics office (ONEI), indicating the interest in Caribbean vacations. Cuba statistics report more than 3 million visitors in 2014.
The outlook for increases in tourism are good for Cuba now that the US government has made more flexible travel requirements for its citizens, despite the US embargo still being in place.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2015-01/10/c_133910034.htm