CUBA: 9 Million Tourists, But Is Cuba Ready?

A year after restoring diplomatic relations, the U.S. and Cuba are on the verge of an agreement to resume regularly scheduled commercial flights between the two nations.

U.S airlines say they are ready.But is Cuba?

More than 100,000 U.S. visitors have been to Cuba in the year since the Obama administration announced it was restoring diplomatic ties with the island nation – all of them still on charters. Commercial airline service might be imminent but the amount of U.S. tourists it will bring to Cuba could overwhelm an infrastructure that might not be ready for an increase in numbers.

From an airline standpoint, American, United, Southwest and JetBlue have all said they are not only interested in starting service to Cuba, but ready to go. Fortunately, this is the one place where Cuba is the strongest.

Because Cuba has been off the radar – almost literally – of people in the United States for two generations, the general tourist thinks of Havana and Jose Marti International Airport as the only place to fly into. But Cuba actually has 10 airports scattered throughout the country servicing flights from 32 airlines including such major carriers as Air France, Air Canada, Aeromexico, and Virgin Atlantic.

The facilities are older, but certainly not decrepit, having served some of the world’s biggest carriers for decades.

Hotels could be an issue in the near-term, although it is likely American companies will become more involved once the trade embargo with Cuba is lifted. For the moment, however, it is less about quality than quantity. According to Cuban officials, there are 63,000 hotel rooms in Cuba, almost 70 percent of which are four- and five-star properties. By some estimates, capacity will increase to 85,000 rooms by 2020.

Will it be enough for an expected increase to 9 million tourists by then from the current 3 million or so tourists annually? That remains to be seen. By comparison’s sake, Las Vegas has 124,000 hotels rooms and draws 41 million tourists a year. Yet travel experts say there are big differences between Havana and Las Vegas.

“It’s a big problem,” Omar Everleny, an economist at the Centre for the Study of the Cuban Economy, told the Toronto Globe and Mail. “Havana is 100 percent full.”

Cruise ships already regularly visit Cuba … but there are issues. Havana’s docks cannot handle the 3,000- and 4,000-passenger superships. Investments will need to be made there.

There’s also the question of currency. It has been less than a month since the first U.S. debit card was approved for use when MasterCard and Fort Lauderdale-based Stonegate Bank announced an agreement. MasterCard can be used now at more than 10,000 locations in Cuba; Stonegate guarantees the payment.

But few other U.S.-based companies are willing to make the same commitment until the Obama administration lifts the economic trade embargo with Cuba.

MALI: American Woman Killed In Mali Terror Attack Was From Western Mass.

Malians woke up Saturday to a state of emergency after Friday's shocking assault on the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital, which a military commander said killed at least 20 people plus two assailants.

Special units of the armed forces of Mali, with the support of the French security services began to assault the building and pushed the attacking troops to the upper floors, where an intense battle continued.

The al-Qaida-claimed attack on a Mali hotel may have been partly aimed at asserting the global terror network's relevance as it faces an unprecedented challenge from the Islamic State group for leadership of the global jihadi movement.

The gunmen burst through the hotel security barrier at about 7:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) Friday on a auto with diplomatic plates, spraying gunfire and shouting "Allahu Akbar", ("God is great" in Arabic). More than 100 other hostages were rescued by Malian forces at the hotel in Bamako. The statement from the Al-Mourabitoun (The Sentinels) group said the assault was in co-operation with al-Qaida's "Sahara Emirate".

France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in the country in January 2013, when al-Qaeda-linked militants threatened to march on Bamako after taking control of the north of the country.

In the northern Mali regions of Timbuktu and Kidal, new leaflets were distributed on Saturday warning against collaboration with the Malian army, France and the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Sidati said.

The foreign victims included Russian, Chinese, Belgian, an American and a Senegalese nationals. At least one guest reported the attackers instructed him to recite verses from the Qur'an as proof of his Muslim faith before he was allowed to leave.

The attack may also be a way for al-Qaida and its allies to assert itself in the face of the highly publicized string of attacks carried out by its chief rival in jihad, the Islamic State group.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said six of its citizens died in the raid, while China's government said three Chinese were killed. "They have lost a lot of leaders in the last three years because of the French military intervention". During the assault two militants were killed.

Keita had been attending a security summit in Chad on Friday but returned to Mali and convened an emergency cabinet meeting.

"China will improve worldwide cooperation to crack down on terrorist activities that kill innocents and safeguard peace and stability of the world", Xi said.

"We believe that all African people will also strongly condemn and oppose the brutal crime", he said.

The lone American killed in Friday's terrorist attack in Mali was a native of western MA. Nothing changes in Mali.