Cuba’s tourism industry, a keystone of its economy, faces a considerable drop in 2025, with international visitor numbers decreasing by 25% in the first half of the year compared to 2024. Data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) shows only 981,856 tourists arrived between January and June. Therefore, the government’s target of 2.6 million visitors for the year seems ever more distant. This decline could mark 2025 as among the worst years for Cuban tourism in almost two decades, of course, if we exclude the pandemic period.
Sharp Drops in Key Markets
The decline can be seen across the important source markets. Canada, which generally is Cuba’s main tourism market, experienced a 25.9% drop in visitors, from over 577,000 to 428,000, during the first half of 2025. Russian tourism saw an even steeper decline: about 43.5%. Double-digit decreases were also seen from traditional markets like the United States, Germany, France, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and, yes, Italy. Colombia proved to be the one exception, as it posted a modest 2.4% increase, so about 16,622 visitors.
Economic and Structural Struggles
Tourism has, for a long time, served as a crucial source of foreign exchange and GDP for Cuba. However, the sector is starting to falter under numerous pressures. The country is facing its fifth year of economic recession, with a 1.1% GDP decrease in 2024. The Cuban Minister of Economy attributes these struggles to more intense U.S. sanctions, careful tracking of financial flows, and restrictions on international transactions, which generally have hindered payments to suppliers. In addition, a severe energy crisis and reduced international air connections have further hampered Cuban tourism efforts.
The difference compared to pre-pandemic years is, in most cases, quite stark. Back in 2018 and 2019, Cuba welcomed over 4 million tourists annually, aided by a brief diplomatic detente with the United States. Nonetheless, recent years have seen a consistent decline, with 2.4 million visitors in 2023, 2.2 million in 2024, and approximately 1.6 million in 2022. Simultaneously, competing Caribbean destinations, such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Cancún in Mexico, are seeing post-pandemic tourism booms, truly highlighting Cuba’s troubles to get back on its feet.
External Criticism and Internal Challenges
The U.S. State Department’s Office of Western Affairs has suggested that internal factors are the main cause of Cuba’s difficulties, thereby dismissing any claims that external sanctions are the only issue. In a statement on X, the agency attributed the country’s economic and social crises to what they see as “decades of corruption, administrative failures, and power structures designed to maintain authoritarian regimes.” It openly criticized Cuban President Miguel DÃaz-Canel, together with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, for, according to them, perpetuating these collapses. The statement urged the international community to denounce the lack of freedom and poor economic management in both nations.
A Dim Outlook for Cuban Tourism
Cuba’s tourism sector undoubtedly faces a tough road ahead. The combination of declining visitor numbers, the ongoing economic recession, and infrastructure challenges, have really left the island far from its pre-pandemic highs. Even though the government is pushing to revitalize tourism, structural issues and geopolitical tensions continue to hold back progress. As other Caribbean destinations seem to be thriving, Cuba risks falling even further behind unless it can address these multifaceted challenges and work to restore its appeal to global travelers.