VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March
18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MPH Ventures
Corp. (TSX-V:MPS) (OTCBB:MPSFF) (Frankfurt:IJA2) (the
"Company") today announces that the Company has received regulatory
acceptance for its change of business ("COB") through the
acquisition of a 100% interest in Travelucion S.L. ("Travelucion
Media"). The Company will undergo a name change to Cuba Ventures
Corp. and is scheduled to commence trading Monday morning under the
new symbol CUV on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Travelucion Media, now a wholly
owned subsidiary, is a cash-flow positive online travel and digital
media marketing company that specializes in travel marketing,
electronic reservations and online booking solutions for
international visitors to Cuba.
The COB was achieved through the
acquisition of the remaining 80% of the shares in Travelucion S.L.
not previously owned by the Company by the issuance of 16,000,000
common shares of MPH Ventures to Mr. Steve Marshall. To reflect its
new business, the Company will change its name from MPH Ventures
Corp. to Cuba Ventures Corp.
Travelucion Media has developed
and owns one of the most significant portfolios of Cuban focused
web assets with 432 websites collectively generating over 30
million page-views per year, directing traffic to the main
Travelucion Media booking and e-commerce sites. 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, food and much more.
Travelucion Media's revenues have
continued to grow quickly in the wake of the notable shift in
American policy towards Cuba. Diplomatic ties are improving as the
two nations normalize relations and travel restrictions on
Americans visiting Cuba continue to relax.
Jim Pettit, President and CEO of
MPH Ventures, stated: "This is a significant milestone for the
Company and its shareholders. Cuba Ventures Corp. will commence
trading Monday, March 21st as one of
the first and only Cuba-focused publically traded vehicles in North
America offering investors direct exposure to the island. Our team
is dedicated to value creation and capitalizing on the growth and
unique opportunities present in Cuba. Our acquisition of
Travelucion Media marks our initial entry into Cuba and its largest
sector the tourism industry."
Steve Marshall, the Founder and
President of Travelucion Media, stated: "Taking Travelucion Media
public is the pinnacle of my life's work. Building an online travel
and media company focused on Cuba has required years of hard work
and relationship building on the island. Two decades later with
President Obama arriving in Cuba, the first sitting U.S. President
to visit Cuba in almost 90 years, my vision seems to be coming to
fruition. These past 15 months have been exciting times at
Travelucion Media with rapidly increasing travel-related revenues
as well as a surge in American web visitors to our 432 websites.
This growth clearly exemplifies the unwavering passion the American
people have to discover more about Cuba, a place I called home for
11 years."
Mr. Marshall remains the President
and CEO of Travelucion Media, now a wholly owned sub of the
Company. He is a trilingual entrepreneur specializing in
international marketing and deal brokering. Steve spent 11 years in
Cuba specializing in Cuban joint ventures and successfully founded
a number of companies including the Primeras Inversiones (Havana
Free Zone), the first State approved real estate joint venture
(CIMEX), the Dimension W-Tech start-up joint venture with the
Ministry of Communications, and the first Cuba-centric online
marketing company handling over 30 million annual internet visitors
with the Ministry of Tourism.
Steve's past Cuban ventures have
received coverage in the Financial Times, BBC News, CNN, Time
Magazine, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street
Journal. Steve was a special advisor to a number of Cuban
corporations spearheading their entrance into the new economy and
providing support and investment in a range of commercial sectors.
He is knowledgeable concerning the idiosyncrasies of dealing with
the Cuban Government and Cuba's foreign investment laws.
About MPH
Ventures Corp.:
MPH Ventures Corp. has acquired
Travelucion Media, now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
Travelucion Media is a cash-flow positive online travel and 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 its 432
websites, which collectively generate over 30 million page-views
per year and direct traffic to the main Travelucion booking sites
including www.Havanatur.com.
For further information on MPH
Ventures Corp. (TSX-V:MPS) or Travelucion Media visit the
companies' websites at www.mphventurescorp.com or
www.travelucion.com.
MPH VENTURES CORP.
"Jim Pettit"
______________________________
JAMES G. PETTIT
President & CEO
For further information, contact
myself or:
Don Myers
MPH Ventures Corp.
Director
Telephone: 604-687-3376
Toll Free: 800-567-8181
Facsimile: 604-687-3119
Email: info@mphventurescorp.com
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.