Cuba with the worst tourist recovery in the Caribbean after the pandemic

Cuba is the country with the worst tourism recovery in the Caribbean after the pandemic, according to the latest report from the European consulting firm specialized in the airline industry and tourism.ForwardKeys.

Compared to 2019, the island occupies last place, position number 28, in the ranking of Caribbean tourist destinations most recovered after the pandemic.

According to the report, between January and September 2023, a significant decrease of 45% was recorded in international traveler arrivals to the island. It also reveals that the prospects for the last quarter of the year are not encouraging, since until October 1, a 41% decrease in the sale of air tickets to Cuba was confirmed.

Although an improvement is beginning to be noticed in the volumes of tourist arrivals, this recovery is slow and is not expected to reverse the negative trend immediately, he emphasizes.

The Dominican Republic, for its part, leads the ranking of the most recovered destinations in the Caribbean, with a 10% increase in tourist arrivals between January and September 2023, and a very positive forecast of 54% for the fourth quarter of the year .

The United States Virgin Islands and Curacao also appear among those recovered, consolidating themselves as Caribbean destinations with growing demand.

The consulting firm ForwardKeys points out that the reactivation of travel to the Caribbean depends largely on the United States and Canada. However, he recognizes that the European market remains fundamental for the region.

Regarding the recovery of the Dominican Republic, it stands out that it has been possible thanks to its excellent connectivity with both regional and international airlines, which has greatly contributed to its solid performance in the tourism sector.

Finally, the report highlights rapid growth in Latin America, with travel bookings exceeding 2019 levels by 65%, indicating an expanding market in the region.

At the end of September the Cuban regime reported that1,666,592 international tourists had visited the island until the end of August, according to official figures.

Although this is an increase of 171.6%, that is, 695,164 more international visitors than in the same period of the previous year, it seems insufficient to achieve the ambitious goal of the Cuban government, which aspired to achieve 3.5 million international tourists by December closing.

Among the largest sources of tourists to Cuba are Canada (675,996), the United States (111,100), Russia (106,529) and Spain (62,415), while 241,115 Cubans residing abroad visited the island until the end of August.

The report ofForwardKeys confirms that Cuba, once considered the jewel of the Caribbean, isdisappearing from the tourist map of the region. A recent article byBusiness Insider, also showed that travel agencies are removing Cuba promotional packages from their windows, opting instead for destinations such as Punta Cana or Cancun.

Tourism, which represents the second largest source of foreign currency for Cuba, has suffered one blow after another in recent years. The combination of the pandemic and the price and supply crisis generated bythe clumsiness and inefficiency of the regime, has led to a drastic reduction in the number of visitors.

In 2019, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba welcomed 4.2 million tourists. However, last year, that number dropped to 1.6 million.