In the first quarter of 2026, Cuba welcomed a mere 298,057 international tourists, marking just 52% of the figures seen in the same period the previous year. This data, released by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) on Monday, underscores a significant decline.
When considering total travelers, which includes both nationals and residents abroad, the island saw 448,857 arrivals from January to March. This represents merely 59% of the numbers from the same timeframe in 2025, equating to a drop of 312,375 travelers.
Virtually all source markets experienced a downturn without exception. Canada, Cuba's leading tourist market, recorded only 124,794 visitors during the quarter, a steep decline of 54.2% from the 272,319 visitors in the same period of 2025.
The United States experienced an even sharper decline, with visitors dropping from 39,465 to just 17,034, a contraction of 56.8%. France also saw a decrease of 54.4%, from 14,748 to 6,725 visitors, while Spain and Italy dropped by approximately 40%.
Even the Cuban community abroad reduced their trips to the island, falling from 59,826 individuals to 34,233, a reduction of 42.8%. Russia, another significant market for Cuban tourism, saw a decrease from 33,463 to 20,917 visitors, a drop of 37.5%.
However, there were a couple of exceptions. Argentina remained nearly stable with 12,212 visitors, maintaining 99.5% of its figures from 2025, and China only saw a slight decline of 5.7%.
The Underlying Issues Behind the Decline
The collapse is attributed to structural issues that intensified at the start of the year. In February, a shortage of Jet A-1 fuel at nine major Cuban airports led to the cancellation of over 1,700 flights and forced the repatriation of more than 27,900 Canadian tourists and 4,300 Russians.
As a direct result, eleven airlines halted their operations to Cuba in 2026, including Air Canada—suspending flights until November—Air Transat, WestJet, Sunwing, Iberia, Air France, and Turkish Airlines.
Impact on the Hospitality Sector
The hotel industry has also suffered significantly. Hotel chains such as Meliá, NH, Iberostar, and Valentín temporarily closed facilities. In Cayo Santa María, the military conglomerate Gaviota shuttered 20 hotels, resulting in job losses for over 7,000 sector workers.
The regime attempted to counteract the situation with a "tourist compacting" strategy starting February 7, which involves closing hotels with low occupancy rates and relocating tourists to centralized facilities to conserve energy. Hotel occupancy rates have dropped to 21.5% so far in 2026.
A Broader Trend of Decline
This downturn is not an isolated incident but rather the deepening of a long-term trend: while Cuban tourism declines, the rest of the world sees growth. The Dominican Republic received 6.5 times more tourists than Cuba in January 2026, and Mexico concluded 2025 with a record-breaking 47.8 million visitors.
Cuba ended 2025 with a mere 1.81 million tourists, a 17.8% drop from 2024 and a staggering 62% below the all-time high of 4.7 million reached in 2018. This decline comes as the chronic energy crisis and infrastructure decay have further crippled one of the few sectors that brought in foreign currency for the regime.
Understanding the Decline in Cuban Tourism
What are the main reasons for the decline in Cuba's tourism in 2026?
The decline is primarily due to a shortage of Jet A-1 fuel at major airports, leading to numerous flight cancellations and the suspension of airline operations. Structural issues and the regime's energy conservation strategies have also contributed to the downturn.
How have other countries' tourism sectors compared to Cuba's?
While Cuba's tourism sector has seen a sharp decline, other countries like the Dominican Republic and Mexico have experienced growth, with the Dominican Republic receiving significantly more tourists and Mexico achieving a record number of visitors in 2025.