Miguel Díaz-Canel announced this Friday a package of economic reforms in which tourism plays a central role, openly acknowledging that Cuba can no longer rely on large international hotel chains, many of which have left the island due to the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
The statements from the leader were published in the Buenos Días Magazine, as part of the called Economic and Social Program for 2026. They arrive at a time when the country has most of its hotels closed and empty.
Regarding the tourism sector, Díaz-Canel noted: "There is a vision for tourism with its challenges. There will be new modalities with new players to take advantage of all the infrastructure we have. We cannot only focus on the large chains at this time, especially since many of them have withdrawn from the country due to pressure from the United States."
The worst moment for Cuban tourism
Cuba welcomed only 328,608 tourists between January and April 2026, a 55.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, with hotel occupancy in 2025 already at just 18.9%.
The exodus of international operators accelerated following the expiration, on June 5, of the deadline set by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for foreign companies to sever ties with GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls 70% of the Cuban economy.
Meliá ceased operations in 15 hotels, Iberostar exited 12 of its 18 establishments and Blue Diamond Resorts left 62 hotels with over 12,900 rooms.
Meliá acknowledged that "the vast majority of hotels are currently closed and lacking activity due to energy problems and a decline in demand."
To fill that gap, the regime proposes opening the sector to Cubans residing on the island, the diaspora, and investors from countries without ties to the U.S. financial system.
The call to émigrés to invest and manage hotels was made by Díaz-Canel on June 5 during an interview with the Spanish media outlet elDiario.es.
"There will be hotels that we will have to operate today more with Cuban management than with shared management with foreign entities. We are also proposing different business models. Cubans who want to invest and who want to manage hotels. We are open to that."
Decree-Law 117/2026, published in the Official Gazette on May 5, formally established the migration status of "Investors and Business" for Cubans residing abroad.
The package of reforms announced this Friday goes beyond tourism
Díaz-Canel spoke about municipal autonomy, state-owned enterprises that operate "without interference in their management," electronic invoicing, electric mobility, and renewable energies. Regarding the energy crisis, he acknowledged that in the past five months, only one oil tanker has arrived in Cuba.
The leader said that he cannot be completely transparent about his plans: “We cannot say everything so clearly because the enemy is watching everything we do.”
Critics warn that the lack of real legal guarantees, institutional opacity, and the historical distrust of the exile community make it very difficult for these proposals to materialize into concrete investments.
Meanwhile, a representative from Cubatur admitted on Tuesday that "tourists are afraid to come to Cuba."
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