2026 Cuba Tourism Numbers

[El Presidente]

 

 

Tourist trips to Cuba almost halved since the beginning of the year, Havana's statistics office said Monday, as a US fuel blockade pummels the island and international flights remain suspended.

Cuba has weathered severe economic difficulties since the imposition of a US trade embargo in 1962, but President Donald Trump's fuel blockade of the island nation since January marks a new economic low, with regular blackouts now part of daily life.

The harsh measures have not spared Cuba's tourism sector, usually its second-biggest source of foreign currency and an employer of over 300,000 people.

Between January and March, the island received 298,057 foreign visitors -- 48 percent fewer than the same period in 2025, figures published by the national statistics office ONEI showed.

 

March saw a record-breaking drop, when just 35,561 foreign tourists visited Cuba.

The decline affected markets across the board, with 54.2 percent fewer visits from Canada and 37.5 percent fewer Russian tourists.

Tourists from the Cuban community living abroad, mostly based in the United States, meanwhile fell by 42.8 percent.

https://www.themountaineer.com/news/national/tourism-plummets-in-us-blockaded-cuba/article_9be64bd6-95a3-58bd-9b37-dc0da08d717f.html

 

[unaslob]

International limbo. How low can it go? Just when you think a society can’t take anymore, what’s next ?

[helix]

Probably worse than the statistics office ONEI are reporting.

[Dadof3]

If you are the Cuban government and you actually care about your people, at what point do you quietly send out feelers to the US to make some sort of deal? The amount of economic recovery that would be available from the US would be earth shaking for the Cuban folks. Put a veneer on the government so everyone can get what they want. If all I had to do was negotiate a golden parachute to a luxury retirement somewhere nice to get my country a bonanza that sounds like a pretty easy decision.  

[jackhammer]

6 hours ago, Dadof3 said:

If you are the Cuban government and you actually care about your people, at what point do you quietly send out feelers to the US to make some sort of deal? The amount of economic recovery that would be available from the US would be earth shaking for the Cuban folks. Put a veneer on the government so everyone can get what they want. If all I had to do was negotiate a golden parachute to a luxury retirement somewhere nice to get my country a bonanza that sounds like a pretty easy decision.  

There are active and ongoing official negotiations between the Cuban government and the US Secretary of State's office. And there have been various back channel discussions with the intelligence community and unofficial US delegations for decades. This is to avoid bureaucratic hurdles and public pressure.

As to your point about the golden parachute, how does the saying go? A dictator would rather burn his country to the ground and rule over the ashes than not rule at all. Something to that effect. 

[Dadof3]

21 hours ago, jackhammer said:

There are active and ongoing official negotiations between the Cuban government and the US Secretary of State's office. And there have been various back channel discussions with the intelligence community and unofficial US delegations for decades. This is to avoid bureaucratic hurdles and public pressure.

As to your point about the golden parachute, how does the saying go? A dictator would rather burn his country to the ground and rule over the ashes than not rule at all. Something to that effect. 

You are correct about the standard dictator outlook. To me the fantasy that a dictator's view aligns with the people governed is so obviously flawed. Go live somewhere fun with a billion dollars or so and let someone else deal with the country. This wouldn't be some sort of hostile takeover where the people would suffer. I'm guessing the US would pour tons of recovery into the country and vastly improve the lives of the average Cuban citizen. 

[sbsbsb1]

I find it amazing that anyone is visiting in this current climate.

[JohnnyO]

My sister-in-law worked at the Grand Ashton hotel on the Malecon, occupancy was 4% during Easter weekend. She got cut after that. John

[puromaniac]

And some (many?), who are still working where they are usually ferried between home and work, like a friend in Cayo Cruz, are staying put at the hotels they work at. Tough for families.

[BrightonCorgi]

I don't foresee Cuban leadership ever conceding to the US via economic hardship. Leadership aren't missing any meals, and this can go on indefinitely.

The leadership needs to suffer a fate similar to so many caused by them.  

[Dadof3]

1 hour ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I don't foresee Cuban leadership ever conceding to the US via economic hardship. Leadership aren't missing any meals, and this can go on indefinitely.

The leadership needs to suffer a fate similar to so many caused by them.  

That's the problem. The regime is not defending the country. They are defending their individual authority and livelihoods. I am skeptical they care all that much about the folks they govern. The citizens are not going to rebel at this point and the folks in charge will find ways to keep themselves fed and keep the lights on. I still think the best approach is the carrot to give the tip of the iceberg of Cuban leadership a golden parachute and offer amnesty and first crack at a bureaucracy job to the rest of the government workers. No petty revenge just a path forward that restores an economy and stability for the average citizen.