Related videos:
The mass cancellation of flights to Cuba and the new U.S. sanctions against GAESA have put major Spanish hotel chains on the island at an unprecedented crossroads, with June 5 as the deadline to cease operations with the business conglomerate controlled by the Cuban regime's Armed Forces.
The U.S. State Department set this deadline under the Executive Order 14404 for foreign companies and financial institutions to sever ties with GAESA.
From that date, any operation with the group or its subsidiaries could expose the companies to secondary sanctions.
The measure strikes hard at Cuban tourism because the Gaviota Tourism Group S.A., the tourism subsidiary of GAESA, controls approximately 110 hotels and around 50,000 rooms on the island.
Meliá Hotels International, with more than 13,000 rooms in Cuba, had already restricted its operations and availability at three establishments before the deadline expired.
Its CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, had stated that "it is not our intention to withdraw from Cuba in any way," although regulatory pressure increasingly complicates that stance.
Iberostar has exited the management of 12 hotels linked to GAESA ahead of schedule, although it will maintain a presence on the island through other operational arrangements.
On the Iberostar website, which has nearly 7,000 rooms in the country, currently only six active hotels are listed, all fully booked until November.
The Canadian Blue Diamond Resorts was more drastic: last Saturday it announced its immediate withdrawal from Cuba, ending the management of 62 hotels and over 12,900 rooms under seven brands, including Royalton, Memories, and Mystique.
The sanctions also expand their reach to Cubanacán, Gran Caribe, and Islazul, which increases the risk for a very large portion of the Cuban hotel inventory, beyond the assets linked to Gaviota.
The collapse of air connectivity further worsens the situation. At least eleven airlines have suspended or reduced flights to Cuba so far in 2026, with more than 1,700 flights canceled in total.
Iberia has suspended its Madrid-Havana route from today until October 24. Cubana de Aviación canceled its only route with Spain since May 12. Air Transat has extended its suspension until the end of October, canceling 129 flights. Air Canada has postponed the resumption of its services until November 1.
Air Europa is now the only Spanish airline with direct flights to Cuba, operating three weekly flights with a return layover in Santo Domingo due to the shortage of Jet A-1 fuel at the island's airports.
The result is an unprecedented decline in tourism: between January and April 2026, Cuba received only 328,608 international tourists, a drop of 55.8% compared to the same period in 2025.
Since January, the Trump Administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against Cuba, achieving a reduction in Cuban energy imports of between 80% and 90%, according to official U.S. figures.
As noted by Hosteltur, "for Meliá and Iberostar, the new deadline introduces a countdown that could affect contracts, availability, sales channels, and commercial planning in Cuba over the coming months."
Filed under: