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The Cuban regime organized a summer promotional fair on the boulevard of the Comodoro hotel in Havana, where the main state travel agencies showcased tourist offerings for the summer season, while millions of Cubans are surviving without electricity or basic food, and the sector is in free fall.
The event, organized by Grupo Cubanacán Hoteles, brought together the agencies Ecotur, Habanatur, San Cristóbal, Cubatour, and Viajes Cubanacán, along with receptive agencies from the Ministry of Tourism.
The official coverage of the event itself acknowledged, without further explanation, that the proposals were presented "despite the current context."
The highlight of the fair was the reopening of the Brisas del Caribe hotel in Varadero, scheduled for June 26, featuring a promotion of free vacations for children aged zero to 12 years.
Marcia Leite Villavicencio, commercial director of Viajes Cubanacán, also highlighted excursions to Punta Perdiz in the Ciénaga de Zapata and to Viñales in Pinar del Río, with prices available in both national currency and foreign exchange.
The "context" that the regime mentions in passing is, in fact, an unprecedented collapse.
Cuban tourism has been in free fall for four years: in the first quarter of 2026, only 328,608 international tourists arrived, which is 55.8% less than during the same period in 2025.
The collapse of the Canadian market, historically the most significant, illustrates the magnitude of the disaster.
In March 2026, only 511 Canadian tourists arrived, compared to 98,663 in the same month of 2025, a drop of 63.8%.
The main Canadian airlines have suspended or drastically reduced their operations to Cuba for this summer: Air Transat suspended sales between mid-June and the end of October, Sunwing extended its suspension until October 9, and Air Canada postponed its return until November 1, 2026.
Hotel occupancy stood at around 21.5% in the first quarter, with analyses placing it even below 10% at certain times, according to data on empty hotels and discounted prices.
While the regime sells excursions and day trips, Cuban families are facing blackouts of up to 20 and 25 hours a day. This Sunday, the Electric Union forecasted a deficit of 1,915 MW for the nighttime peak, a figure that is repeated with minimal variations each day.
Almost one in three Cuban households reported that at least one member went to bed hungry in the last 30 days, according to the Food Monitor Program. 79.75% of those surveyed attribute the shortages to poor state management.
The economy has experienced a contraction of 23% since 2019. By 2026, The Economist Intelligence Unit projects an additional decline in GDP of 7.2%, while ECLAC estimates a contraction of 6.5%, the worst in Latin America.
Economist Pedro Monreal warns that the decline could reach 15% if the shortage of foreign currency, the energy crisis, and inflation continue to worsen.
One day before the tourism fair, Díaz-Canel announced a package of emergency economic reforms that includes decentralization, opening to the currency exchange market, and a gradual elimination of subsidies, implicitly acknowledging the severity of a situation that his own media describe with euphemisms.
It is in this scenario where the regime organizes fairs to sell "summer" to families that lack light, food, and prospects, while the official press concludes that the facilities of Mintur "are committed to improving the quality of services and offering options for this summer."
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