September 10, 2026

Cuba’s tourism industry has suffered a dramatic downturn in 2026, with international arrivals falling by 62 per cent during the first seven months of the year as the country’s prolonged economic crisis and mounting pressure from the United States weigh heavily on one of its most important sources of foreign exchange.

According to figures released by Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information, approximately 419,000 international visitors travelled to the island between January and July, down sharply from about 1.1 million during the same period in 2025. The scale of the decline underscores the growing strain facing a sector that had already struggled to return to its pre-pandemic strength.

The weakness in tourism reflects a combination of domestic economic challenges and external restrictions. Cuba continues to face persistent shortages of fuel and other essential goods, frequent power disruptions, and growing pressure on businesses and households. These conditions have made it increasingly difficult for hotels, restaurants, transportation providers and other tourism-related operators to maintain normal levels of service.

At the same time, measures introduced by the United States have added further pressure. Between May and July, the US State Department announced actions targeting companies involved in Cuba’s tourism sector, including restrictions that could limit access to the US financial system. Major international hotel groups with longstanding operations in Cuba, including Meliá, Iberostar and Royalton, subsequently suspended contracts in the country.

Payment services have also been affected, with Visa and Mastercard withdrawing services and creating additional difficulties for international travellers and businesses that depend on electronic transactions. The loss of these services has added another obstacle for a tourism industry already coping with weaker demand and operating challenges.

Air connectivity has deteriorated alongside the financial restrictions. Several major carriers, including World2Fly, Air France, Turkish Airlines and Iberia, suspended flights after the Cuban government announced that aircraft could no longer refuel on the island because of fuel shortages. Reduced flight availability has made the country less accessible and further constrained the flow of visitors.

The latest decline represents a significant reversal for an industry that once played a central role in Cuba’s economy. The country welcomed approximately 4.3 million international visitors in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel. Tourism had previously generated an estimated US$3 billion annually and served as a vital source of foreign currency.

The deterioration has become increasingly visible across major tourism areas, where hotels, private accommodations, shops and attractions are either closing or operating with sharply reduced activity. With arrivals now at fewer than half their year-earlier level, the tourism downturn is compounding Cuba’s broader economic difficulties and weakening one of the country’s most important sources of external revenue.

Source: (Caribbean National Weekly)