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The official data for the end of September 2025 confirms the sustained decline of international tourism in Cuba, with a 20.5% drop in the number of visitors compared to the same period in 2024.
Between January and September, the country welcomed 1,366,720 foreign tourists, which is 352,289 fewer than the previous year, according to records from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).
The economist Pedro Monreal, who shared the official report on his X account (formerly Twitter), described the figures as evidence of the “severity of the tourist crisis,” emphasizing that neither the new flight routes nor the regime's promotional campaigns are able to reverse the downward trend.
"The official data on tourists received in Cuba during the first nine months of the year has been published, confirming the severity of the tourism crisis," wrote Monreal, emphasizing that the total number of visitors fell by 20.5% compared to 2024.
According to ONEI, by September, there were 1,960,713 travelers registered (including Cubans residing abroad), which represents only 85.2% of the total from the previous year. The decline is particularly sharp considering that 2024 was already a year with low numbers, well below pre-pandemic levels.
The report also shows declines in almost all source markets. Canada, traditionally the island's primary source of tourists, sent 559,715 visitors, a decrease of 19.5% compared to 2024. The Cuban community abroad, the second largest source, fell by 20.7%, with just 177,823 visitors.
But the most dramatic contraction corresponds to Russia, which saw a drop from 141,612 tourists to 88,879, representing a decrease of 37.2%.
Monreal specifically criticized the contrast between that reality and the official propaganda, which recently celebrated the opening of an air route between St. Petersburg and Varadero as "a strategic opportunity to energize the Russian market."
"In fact, among the four main emitters, Russia has experienced the largest decline from January to September 2025 (-37.2%)," the economist warned.
Other European markets are also showing signs of decline. Spain is down 27%, France 24%, and Germany has plunged more than 40%, with only 26,735 visitors compared to 47,323 last year.
Hotel occupancy remains at minimal levels—around 25% in the first half of the year—while the sector's profitability continues to decline. Tourism, seen by the regime as one of the main sources of foreign currency income, is still far from the official targets, which projected 2.7 million visitors for this year.
Consulted specialists agree that the crisis in Cuban tourism is not due to temporary factors, but rather structural ones. Extended power outages, shortages of basic supplies, the inadequacy of infrastructure, and issues with air connectivity are some of the obstacles that deter visitors.
Moreover, the loss of competitiveness compared to other Caribbean destinations—such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Jamaica—is increasingly evident. These countries have recovered and surpassed pre-pandemic levels thanks to incentive policies, hotel modernization, and air connectivity, while Cuba has lagged behind in all these areas.
The paradox is that, despite the collapse, the Cuban regime continues to prioritize the construction of luxury hotels instead of allocating resources to basic infrastructure or essential social sectors.
Behind that policy is GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A.), the military conglomerate that controls a significant portion of tourism and investments in the sector, including hotel chains, real estate, and financial ventures.
According to official data, over 40% of state investment continues to be concentrated in tourism, even as the country faces one of the worst economic and energy crises in its recent history.
This orientation shows that tourism —more than a real source of income— has become a priority for the military elites that dominate the economy, while the population faces blackouts, shortages, and a collapse of public services.
The balance up to September clearly shows that Cuban tourism continues to decline, with no signs of short-term recovery. The most optimistic projections suggest a closing figure for 2025 of around 1.8 million visitors, far below government expectations and the 4.2 million the country received before the pandemic.
While the official narrative insists on presenting each flight or agreement as an achievement, the figures—and the reality on the streets, marked by blackouts, shortages, and mass emigration—reveal that tourism in Cuba is experiencing a deep and sustained decline, reflecting the structural crisis affecting the entire national economy.
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