VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/31/16 -- Cuba Ventures Corp. (TSX VENTURE: CUV)(OTCBB: MPSFF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a collaboration agreement with the Mercosur Chamber of Commerce. Cuba Ventures, through its subsidiary Travelucion Media, is an online travel and digital media marketing company that specializes in travel marketing, electronic reservations and online booking solutions for international visitors to Cuba.
Headquartered in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Mercosur CC was established in 1991 to cover a territory of six of the twelve countries in South America with total population of approximately 290 million people. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela and its associate countries are Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Suriname with observer countries including New Zealand and Mexico. Mercosur's purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency as well as to facilitate investment within South and Central America. Mercosur is a component of the continuing process of South American integration connected to the Union of South American Nations. Mercosur merchandise trade, excluding Venezuela, grew from US$10 billion at the inception of the trade bloc in 1991 to over US $88 billion in 2010.
In December 2015, the President of Mercosur went to Havana, Cuba, to address strategic business development and tourism synergies between Mercosur's South American countries and Cuba. The President of the Chamber of Mercosur and the Americas, Miguel Lujan Paletta, stated: "This meeting marks the start of commercial relations between Cuba and the member countries. This initiative will certainly contribute to other countries in our region starting their negotiations with more confidence and demystify, once and for all, any doubt with Cuba. The Chamber of Commerce for Mercosur and the Americas has a close relationship with entrepreneurs, not only in Brazil, but all other nations belonging to Mercosur and the Americas."
This noteworthy collaboration agreement recently signed between Cuba Ventures and Mercosur CC will open up many opportunities for the Company to work with Mercosur on travel related opportunities, digital marketing initiatives, as well as potential consulting agreements. Cuba Ventures' team has over 50 years' experience in Cuban commerce and investment which will be of value to Mercosur members interested in investing in Cuba. Furthermore, partnering up with Mercosur gives the Company direct access to the member nations looking to invest in Cuba.
Erik Aaron Lara, General Director of Mercosur CC and the Official Delegate for the EU, United States and Asia of Mercosur, stated: "We look forward to working with the team at Cuba Ventures and leveraging their in depth knowledge of Cuba. They have a first mover advantage and have built an impressive online travel and digital media platform customized for Cuba with hundreds of websites covering all facets related to the island nation. As Cuba continues to open up, we see this platform and the team at Cuba Ventures as value added partners for any group, business or governmental body looking to enter the emerging Cuban economy especially in the travel and digital media space."
Steve Marshall, CEO of Cuba Ventures Corp., stated: "We are very excited to have partnered up with a group as prominent as Mercosur CC and view this as the start of a strong working relationship between Cuba Ventures and Mercosur and its member countries. There are renewed synergies between Mercosur members and the Republic of Cuba, and our team can bring a wealth of knowledge to those entrepreneurs and businesses considering the attractive and relatively untapped investment potential Cuba has to offer. Given the rapidly growing travel market in Cuba, there is a natural fit with Cuba Ventures and we expect numerous opportunities to materialize from this partnership for the Company to grow its current travel business. Beyond our working knowledge of Cuban bureaucracy, legal and financial structures, we are also able to offer worldwide marketing support for investors through our 432 multi-language Cuban focused websites collectively generating over 30 million page-views per year of highly targeted web traffic interested in everything Cuba. The recipe of proven consulting expertise and ongoing marketing support for future investors has undoubtedly been the reason we were chosen to aid Mercosur CC members going forward."
Both Travelucion Media's revenues and web traffic have continued to grow quickly in the wake of the notable shift in American policy towards Cuba. Travelucion has developed and owns one of the most significant portfolios of Cuban focused websites with 432 websites collectively generating over 30 million page-views per year. Visitor traffic is directed to the main Travelucion Media booking and e-commerce sites and also to third party partner ventures requiring worldwide marketing. Since 1995 these proprietary websites have been promoting Cuba and offering online travel services to the Caribbean nation. The websites cover all facets of the island including specific tourist destinations, hotels and resorts, golf, spas, restaurants, classic car rentals, Cuban culture, health, commerce, investment, food and much more.
About Cuba Ventures Corp.:
Cuba Ventures Corp. has acquired Travelucion Media, now a wholly owned subsidiary. Travelucion Media is an online travel digital media company that specializes in travel marketing, electronic reservations and online booking solutions for international visitors to Cuba. Travelucion Media owns one of the most significant portfolios of Cuban focused web assets, through 432 sites in up to 5 languages, which collectively generate over 30 million page-views per year and direct traffic to the main Travelucion booking site www.Havanatur.com and third party Cuba related businesses.
For further information on Cuba Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) or Travelucion Media visit the Company's website at www.cubaventures.com or www.travelucion.com.
Cuba Ventures Corp. has approx. 62.3 million shares issued and outstanding.
CUBA VENTURES CORP.
JAMES G. PETTIT, President
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
Contacts:
Cuba Ventures Corp.
Don Myers
Director
604-687-3376 or Toll Free: 800-567-8181
604-687-3119 (FAX)
info@cubaventures.com
www.cubaventures.com