The economist Elías Amor described the tourism measures included in the package of 176 economic reforms by Díaz-Canel as the most striking of the bunch, but he framed them within a devastating diagnosis: what the regime proposes for the rest of the economy is like "putting band-aids on a very serious wound that the patient has, for which they are bleeding and secreting fluids, instead of subjecting them to first-rate surgery to save their life."
Amor made this assessment in his fourth and final analysis program of the 176 measures approved by the National Assembly on June 19, 2026, hosted by Tania Costa on CiberCuba.
The thematic axis 17, dedicated entirely to tourism, encompasses 13 measures that the economist described as technically sound, although he warned that the regime will only implement those that do not pose a risk to the communist structure.
In thematic axis 17, there are 13 measures. Among the most relevant proposals is the granting of onerous usufruct rights over hotel facilities, a formula similar to what already operated with Spanish companies on the island, explained Elías Amor.
The granting of areas with development assets in various regions of the country is also considered, with the new feature that these formulas are no longer limited to foreign investors. "They no longer distinguish between Spanish, foreign, or Cuban companies. This is now for everyone," emphasized the economist.
Amor interpreted this territorial opening as "a way to enhance the value of Cuban territory for the tourism sector," although he specified that the formula for direct property sales still does not exist in Cuba, unlike in the Dominican Republic or Costa Rica, where it is allowed.
Measure 134, which proposes to include economic development zones in the portfolio of foreign investment opportunities, received a more skeptical assessment. "This is already the case. The only development zone in Cuba is Mariel, and there are already these types of special regimes there," Amor stated.
The tourist package also includes international franchises of Cuban brands such as Tropicana, El Floridita, and La Bodeguita del Medio, tax incentives for ecotourism and nature tourism projects, and the liberalization of private travel agencies and independent tour guides.
All of this comes at the worst time for tourism in Cuba in decades. In the first five months of 2026, the arrival of international visitors fell by 58.4%, with only 359,491 tourists and a hotel occupancy rate of 12.9%.
In May 2026, only 30,883 foreign tourists arrived, the lowest monthly figure in decades. The military chain Gaviota closed more than twenty hotels in Cayo Santa María, leaving over 7,000 workers without jobs, and at least 11 airlines—including Iberia, Air France, and Air Canada—suspended their routes to the island, largely due to a lack of Jet A-1 fuel at nine international airports.
Chains like Meliá, Iberostar, and NH have temporarily withdrawn from Cuba in this context of collapse.
On the other hand, Amor noted that two factions have emerged within the regime regarding the reforms: "the reformers," who have a more open-minded approach, and "the reactionaries," who demand that any measures respect the Constitution and the socialist nature of the State.
For the economist, this internal tension is the key that will determine how many of these tourism proposals will translate into real actions: without reforming the constitutional articles that underpin the state model, no structural change is possible, he concluded.
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