Foreign tourism in Havana and other Cuban destinations has fallen sharply as the island’s economic crisis deepens and major international travel companies scale back or suspend operations. During a recent morning in Old Havana, Reuters found only a handful of foreign visitors, a stark contrast to the city’s usually lively tourist areas. Hotels, restaurants, museums and streets that once drew large numbers of overseas travelers are now noticeably quieter.
Despite the downturn, some tourists still describe positive experiences. Colombian traveler Ramiro Escobar, 68, said he had long dreamed of visiting Cuba and finally toured major attractions, including the beach resort of Varadero. He acknowledged the country’s hardships, but said services were still available and that his visit had gone very well. Other travelers also expressed admiration for Cuba’s culture and the resilience of its people, even while noting signs of shortage and hardship.
The collapse in tourism reflects a combination of long-running economic problems, fuel shortages and recent political pressure from the United States. Cuba never fully recovered its pre-pandemic tourism levels after COVID-19, and arrivals have remained far below the 4.75 million visitors recorded in 2018. This year, the situation worsened as Washington signaled possible military action, imposed additional sanctions and warned that foreign firms doing business with sanctioned Cuban individuals could face penalties.
Those pressures have accelerated the withdrawal of foreign companies. Spain’s Meliá and Iberostar have said they will reduce the number of hotels they operate in Cuba, while Canadian firm Blue Diamond has exited the market. Several airlines have also suspended service to the island, including Iberia, World2Fly, Rossiya, WestJet and Air Canada, citing unreliable jet fuel supplies. Visa and Mastercard have also suspended operations in Cuba, adding to the difficulties faced by tourists and businesses.
Travelers who do make the journey can still find relatively inexpensive all-inclusive hotel rooms, sometimes for about $50 a night, but conditions may be poor. Visitors have reported broken elevators, deteriorating rooms and limited food choices at hotel buffets. Many would-be tourists, however, are staying away altogether because of fears about the political and economic situation.
Local tourism workers say the decline has been severe. Representatives from travel agencies report that they have lost many of their regular group bookings, especially from abroad. Official Cuban statistics show that 328,608 international visitors arrived in the first part of this year, less than half the number seen in the same period a year earlier and far below pre-pandemic trends.
The Cuban government blames decades of U.S. sanctions for the island’s economic troubles, while the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump says Cuba’s government is responsible for its own failures and argues that tougher sanctions are needed to force political change.
The crisis is also hurting small private businesses, including hostels, cafes and restaurants in Old Havana. Some have already closed, while others are offering deep discounts or shifting focus to local customers in hopes of surviving until conditions improve.
