HAVANA Felix Hernandez Jersey , Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban tourism industry maintained the rapid growth it has seen throughout 2015 in August, reporting a 17.2 percent year-on-year increase, the National Statistics Bureau (NBS) highlighted on Thursday.
In a tourism report covering January to August, the state body explained that the Caribbean country received 2.427 million foreign tourists.
The NBS confirmed Canada as the largest source of visitors to the island, followed by the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Mexico.
The official newspaper, Juventud Rebelde, said that 2,410,785 international arrivals had been registered between January-October 2014, with this figure having been exceeded two months earlier in 2015.
The paper added that September was likely to also have been "an excellent month for the arrival of travelers due to the visit of Pope Francis", although official NBS figures are still awaited.
The NBS report also showed that the entertainment industry is now the second largest source of foreign revenue for the island, generating 2.5 billion dollars in 2014, second only to medical services.
Last year, the island country surpassed for the first time the milestone of 3 million foreign tourists, receiving 3,027,453 in total.
This growth is linked to the modernization of Cuba's hotel industry, which is set to count with 85,000 international-quality hotel rooms by 2020, up from 61,200 today. 66.5 percent of these are in four and five-star hotels.
With the restoration of relations between Cuba and the United States, the island-nation will expect tourism numbers to continue growing with the expected removal of the ban on U.S. tourists visiting the country.
WELLINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand scientists have brought a native plant back from extinction 60 years after it was last seen in the wild, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said Friday.
The rare white variant of the red kakabeak (also known as ngutukaka in Maori or Clianthus), which grew on cliffs near Wairoa, on the east of the North Island, had not been seen in the wild since the 1950s, Barry said in a statement.
At a ceremony in Rotorua, around 100 of the plants, grown from seeds by the government's Scion research institute, were handed over to East Coast iwi (Maori tribal groups) to be planted back on their ancestral lands.
"White kakabeak was thought to be extinct, but the chance discovery of some seeds taken from the Wairoa area has enabled Scion to revitalize it. It has been ground-breaking scientific work and today's ceremony marks a significant milestone for the species' recovery," said Barry.
Land at Wairoa, had been fenced off to provide a safe area for the plants.
"Red kakabeak is a popular garden plant, but is critically endangered in the wild due to threats such as possums, deer, goats and snails. With only around 100 plants remaining in the wild, it is classified as nationally critical," Barry said.
It's estimated that Shanghai Disneyland, the world's sixth Disney theme park, will bring in 24 billion yuan ($3.65 billion) annually, the Beijing Times reported on Friday.
The theme park is set to make 4 billion yuan from ticket revenue, while the purchase of merchandise within the park, such as toys, music, and publications, will contribute a further 20 billion yuan to the company's overall profit, the report said.
Daily regular tickets go on sale from March 28 and will be priced at 370 yuan, compared with HK$539 ($69) for a one-day adult ticket to Hong Kong Disneyland. However, higher prices will be charged during peak periods on weekends and public holidays, Disney said in a statement.
The theme park, scheduled to open on June 16, will limit the maximum number of guests and adhere to local capacity regulations, it said, without specifying the allowed numbers.
Disney is counting on a pool of 330 million Chinese who live within a three-hour train or car trip from Shanghai to buy tickets, which would bring unlimited opportunities for Disney's development in Shanghai.
The sixth Disney theme park in the world and the second in China, Shanghai Disneyland is setting many records.
Contemporary international movie culture will be showcased alongside classical musicals and stage plays at the vast new Disneyland, which is comprised of six parks. Throughout the day, music and movie characters will perform on the street, giving guests an unforgettable experience, a spokesperson for Disneyland said.
Shanghai Disneyland could have an impact on the operational success of its Hong Kong neighbor, as visitors from eastern and north China will not need to travel as far to enjoy the world famous theme park, the report said.
HO CHI MINH CITY， June 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam will create more favorable conditions for its most outstanding junior athletes in preparation for the Olympic Games 2024， a local sports official said on Tuesday.
"A special talent training program designated for Olympics 2024 campaign is taking shape. Most prominent young athletes in key events will have long training courses in the United States or European countries，" the official from the Vietnamese General Department of Sports and Physical Training said， declining to be named.
The Vietnamese youths， who have won gold medals at the recent 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championships， will be included in the program， the official said， noting that local athletics stars such as Truong Thanh Hang， Vu Thi Huong and Nguyen Dinh Cuong have all emerged from Asian junior sporting events.
At the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship from June 3 to 6 in Ho Chi Minh City， Vietnam is ranked 7th in medal standings with two golds， three silvers and three bronzes. Vietnamese girl Nguyen Thi Truc Mai grabbed a gold in the long jump with 6.34 meters. Her compatriot Le Tu Chinh secured another gold in the women's. Cheap Soccer Hoodies Cheap Hats Cheap NBA Hoodies Cheap MLB Hoodies Cheap Soccer Shirts China Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Football Shirts Cheap Nike NBA Hats Cheap Adidas NHL Hats Cheap NCAA Shirts China