Expedia Inc. has begun selling Cuba hotel rooms on its
branded sites, including Expedia.com, Orbitz, Hotels.com and Travelocity.
"We have been working around the clock with Cuban
hoteliers to offer this destination to our global consumers, with the added
convenience of online booking through a trusted travel partner," said
Demetrius Canton, Expedia's director of market management for the Caribbean.
Expedia.com lists 482 hotels in Cuba in 12 cities,
with Havana topping the list with 123, ranging from apartments and guest houses
to private residences, villas, inns and hotels in price ranges from $75 to more
than $300 per room. A random search showed many selections sold out for much of
June into early July.
Cuba received more than 4 million visitors in 2016, up 6%
over 2015, according to the Cuban Tourism Ministry. Of that total, U.S.
visitors accounted for more than 614,000, a 34% jump.
As of May 3, the country had already recorded 2 million
visitors.
Cuba's goal is 10 million annual visitors by 2030.