CRI听力:Preparations Underway ahead of Obama's Historic Visit to Cuba

Obama's two-and-a-half day visit will start on Sunday. 

Cubans from all walks of life say the US president's trip will not only bring hope for a better future, but will also guarantee that the normalization process started in December 2014 is irreversible, no matter who takes Obama's place as president of the United States.

Gustavo Machin is the Deputy Director of North America Affairs under the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

"Obama's visit becomes part of this same process, we exchange mutual work agendas, so that we can work towards what the Americans call 'irreversibility'."
In a direct appeal to the Cuban people's sense of humor, the White House has also released a video of President Obama joking with the most famous Cuban comedian.

Luis Silva plays Panfilo, an elderly character on a wildly popular show that often uses biting humor to comment on social reality.

The video released Saturday shows Panfilo calling the White House to find out the weather for a baseball game during Obama's trip to Cuba.

"Oh, you are President Obama. Oh my God! I'm talking with Obama. But Obama, the real Obama?"
"Yes, the real Obama. Who's this?"

Obama answers and banters with Panfilo, using Cuban Spanish slang to say "Panfilo! Get outta here! What's going on?"

"Get outta here. What's going on?" "What's going on?"

"I'm looking forward to it. The American people and the Cuban people are friends.

For most ordinary Cubans, the hope of economic change, and a chance at a better life, is a welcome message from the President of the United States.

Days ahead of his arrival in Havana, President Obama lifted some of the travel, trade, and financial restrictions on Cuba.

Now, U.S. tourists can travel independently to the island country; Cubans can carry out international financial transactions with the U.S. dollar and American boats can harbor in Cuban ports, among other measures.

The latest data revealed by Cuban travel agencies showed that the number of foreign travelers in the first two months this year saw a year-on-year increase of 14 percent.

However there are concerns about the country's reception capacity as the long-imposed embargo has hampered the development of its tourism industry.

Jose Luis Perelloa is an advisor for the Cuban tourism ministry.

"Cuban tourism is facing huge difficulties when receiving foreign tourists. Nothing has changed in Cuba's tourism in a very long time: financial limitations, a lack of maintenance in hotel facilities and the more than 50-year embargo imposed by the United States. At present, we need to face a new kind of tourism as in the past Cuban tourism was basically designed for vacation."

Iroel Sanchez, a Cuban political analyst, says he believes that Havana will now use the political capital accumulated over more than half a century to further pressure the United States to lift the embargo.

According to the analyst, the key to success is to improve the efficiency of the Cuban social system so that it can better meet the needs of the people.

On Saturday, the US-based hotel company Starwood Hotels and Resorts reached an agreement with Cuba to take over operations of two hotels in Havana, becoming the first American hospitality company to operate hotels on the island since relations between the two countries were reestablished.

The New York-based conglomerate, owners of the Westin, Sheraton, and W brands among others, will now take over Havana's Inglaterra Hotel, the city's oldest hotel　property and the Fifth Avenue Hotel in upscale Miramar.

The company plans to start operations in Cuba in late 2016 to take advantage of the increase of American tourists.