Cuban organizers took time off from their work on Thursday to show Chinese visitors around an international tourism fair in Havana, a sign of flourishing cooperation between tourism businesses of the two countries.

Chinese and Cuban officials will also negotiate a tourism-related deal in the coming days on the sidelines of the 26th International Tourism Fair, hoping to sign an agreement this weekend.

The five-day exhibition, which attracted 1,000 exhibitors from 30 countries or regions, was hosted by the San Carlos de la Cabana fortress, a colonial-era building in Havana Bay.

The fair began on Thursday with a naval parade, part of a bid to promote Cuba's water sports and the popularity of Cuba's three tourist destinations -- Cienfuegos, Villa Clara and Trinidad.

Cuba hopes to attract 2.5 million visitors this year, a 7.7 percent increase over last year, according to the Tourism Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2006)