HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 28.Cuba was selected as destination of the year during the MATKA 2012 Tourism Fair in Helsinki, Finland, the most important of Nordic nations.

The Finnish Association of Travel Journalists unanimously gave the island one of its annual certificates honoring the most notable events in this sector, the Cuban Tourism Ministry (MINTUR) informed on Friday by way of a press release.

Cuban ambassador Sergio Gonzalez received the acknowledgement, and expressed his appreciation on behalf of the ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, the government, and “all those who made it possible for the over two million 700,000 tourists who visited the island last year to have a pleasant stay.”

During the ceremony, renowned Finnish radio and television journalist Juha Riha highlighted the historic places of the Caribbean island; its constructions and cultural traditions dating back to colonial times; and the opportunity to enjoy Cuba’s eternal summer and the different shades of blue at the Varadero beach resort, which receives over one million tourists from around the world annually, reads a communique by the MINTUR.