How Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger, Usher, Katy Perry and Other Celebrities Subtly Promoted Cuba as a Travel Destination
A year after U.S. President Barack Obama restored full diplomatic relations with Cuba, many American tourists suddenly flock the Caribbean Island. It is suddenly becoming an attractive travel destination with the help of celebrities posting pictures from their trip to Cuban adventures on social media.
The latest celebrity to visit Cuba is rockstar legend Ozzy Osbourne along with his son, Jack. The former Black Sabbath vocalist arrived in Havana on Sunday and immediately went to several historical landmarks. Ozzy is scheduled to film a documentary for the History Channel, but the Osbournes are also planning to have a tour of different Cuban cultural facilities in the next few days, per FOX News.
Osbourne was not the first rock star to visit the island as Mick Jagger was spotted last October while he was scouting possible venues for The Rolling Stones' first concert in Cuba. Jagger toured the Havana's historic center before going to "La Fabrica de Arte Cubano", the capital city's well-known music and cultural venue.
According to Billboard, Keith Richards and Jagger are planning to have a concert in Cuba on March 20 or 21 at the end of The Rolling Stones 2016 Latin American tour. Jagger and Osbourne add to the long list of celebrities who visited Cuba the past year including Katy Perry, Rihanna, Usher, Ludacris, Paris Hilton, Conan O'Brien, Kevin Spacey and Jack Nicholson. The tour of these celebrities includes visiting cigar shops and rolling your own one and riding a classic 1950s convertible.
New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony also visited Caribbean nation this past summer to learn more about the rise of soccer in the island, probably looking on a good investment in the sport after buying a pro soccer team in his native island of Puerto Rico.
Cuba is not only about cigars and convertible cars as they also offer an urban gardening revolution, healthcare tourism, and eco-tourism, per Slant News. Former President Castro has always recognized the importance of tourism on Cuba's economy, but there are always consequences considering the half-century struggle with the U.S.
"Tourism can develop because it is an economic resource of our country, coming out of the resources of our sky, our seas, our atmosphere. But nobody should ever imagine a tourism of gaming, casinos, prostitution, or things of that type because we would die of hunger before allowing an assault to the morals of our public, to the ethic of our Revolution," Castro said back in 1977.
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