An influx of tourists this past year is forcing Cuba to look towards expansion in a major part of its infrastructure.
And according to a report from The Daily Mail, the increase in visitors is the financial boon for French firms Bouygues and Groupe ADP, which will head the expansion effort at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport.
A relaxed relationship between Cuba and the United States was bound to increase the number of travelers headed to the nation.
And what the report states is a 12 percent bump in visitors in 2016 has also increased the need to update an ageing airport that will only serve to host more and more travelers dying to see the previously secluded country. (The report also notes a 17 percent surge the previous year in respect to international visitors.)
The Daily Mail cites a statement from the Travel Ministry, which explains the specific needs targeted by the refurbishment project: "The project foresees the financing and execution of immediate actions to improve the quality of services as well as medium and long-term investments corresponding to the estimated growth in passengers."
Back in May, TravelPulse's Rich Thomaselli reported Cuba's pivot towards an embrace of foreign investment to nurture the sudden and impressive tourism interest from abroad.
[READMORE]READ MORE: How Hot is Travel To Cuba Right Now?[/READMORE]
Following the FitCuba International Tourism Fair, Thomaselli noted that the nation had instituted a tall order: "Part of the goal is to almost double the current 65,000 hotel rooms by 2030."
From hospitality to air travel, Cuba is in the initial throes of a resurgence and that means a great overhaul is in order.
As The Daily Mail reminds, France has a vested interest going forward in the rejuvenation of the sudden hotspot for foreign travelers: "France struck a deal with Cuba last year, under which it agreed to convert several hundred million dollars in debt into development projects for the island."
The report is careful to point out that this particular deal regarding Havana's major airport isn't exactly tied to that deal.
However, it's clear that the landscape of Cuba is indeed evolving as millions plan to visit its cities and coastlines in the near future.
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