They plan to take a luxury cruise to Havana in 2020

By AFP

Virgin Voyages, of the British conglomerate Virgin Group, hopes to launch its luxury cruise ship "Scarlet Lady" in 2020 and choose the port of Havana as a destination, announced Wednesday the executive director of the port. firma.

"By 2020, Virgin Travel will offer the opportunity to sail in certain places and spend the night in Havana," said company executive director, Thomas McAlpin, during a visit in Cuba for an international fair. 19659003] "Obviously, a special vessel requires a special destiny: all over the world, people are curious to know more about this beautiful country," he added. The ship is still under construction. No details on the investment have been provided.

The airline Virgin Atlantic, of the same conglomerate, already proposes flights London-Havana. Cuba is a major recipient of cruise ships in the Caribbean, despite the US embargo on the island since 1962.

Virgin Group founder, Richard Branson, welcomed the launch by a video. 19659002] "I thank the Cuban government and the port authorities for helping to make our dream of sailing in Havana a reality," he said. of the Virgin in Cuba. "We must remember that Virgin Holidays, the tour operator, is a faithful transmitter of UK tourism to our country," he said.

"We hope that the procedures followed were rigorous: for this operation in our country, we could one day get up without the blockade" applied by the United States ", he said. European Union, its largest trading partner, invests millions of dollars in investment in the hospitality industry.