[Travel ★★★]
(P1) The construction of a five-star hotel near the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana stands out among the new business proposals included in the portfolio of foreign investment of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur).
(P2) This project responds to the growing demand for accommodation in the Cuban capital, increasingly popular among vacationers from around the world, and to the increase of flights to Cuba.
(P3) Coming mainly from the United States, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany, one million 685,381 visitors arrived at the Jose Marti International Airport in 2015, representing an increase of 21 percent compared to the previous year.
(P4) Due to the growing interest in Cuba as a tourist destination, some airlines strengthen their presence, like the German Air Berlin, which incorporated since May two weekly flights between Düsseldorf and the city of Havana, for a total of five operations each month during the summer.
(P5) Recently the U.S. Department of Transportation approved the requests of six local airlines to operate direct regular flights to Havana before the end of the year, even though the citizens of that nation cannot travel to Cuba as vacationers because of the restrictions of the embargo.
WORDS: 195
VOCABULARY: portfolio, accommodation, vacationers, strengthen, presence, embargo
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Would you like to travel to Cuba? Why or why not?
- Have you ever stayed in a 5-star hotel? If yes, describe your experience. If no, would you like to and why?
- Do you think traveling to Cuba will continue to grow? Why or why not?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- Where will the accommodation be built?
- How many people went to Cuba in 2015?
- Which German airline was mentioned in the article?
- Which organization in the USA approved flights to Cuba?
- What government order does the USA have with Cuba?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- stands out (P1)
- growing demand (P2)
- coming mainly from (P3)
- due to the growing interest (P4)
Image source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/16/11018004/us-cuba-first-commerical-flights-50-years