The Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) of Cuba has attempted to mitigate the impact of the largest exodus of foreign hotel chains from the island in recent decades, with statements downplaying the situation and assuring that the facilities remain open.
The advisor of MINTUR for the Southern Cone, José Antonio Aguilera, assured from Buenos Aires to the official agency Prensa Latina that the facilities previously managed by Meliá, Iberostar, and Barceló remain open under Cuban management.
The advisor of MINTUR offered a reassuring message directed at operators and travel agencies in the Southern Cone, which have recently increased their inquiries due to the uncertainty generated by the hotel pullback.
“Hotels on the island remain open and the destination continues to operate normally,” affirmed Aguilera.
"The hotel facilities are operating at full normal capacity and there is no impact on travelers," the official added.
Regarding Cuba's capacity to manage those facilities independently, Aguilera argued that decades of collaboration with international groups have left a valuable technical legacy.
“Cuba has acquired the ‘know-how’ necessary to ensure the service standards and quality that characterize our destination. The hotels remain open and operating under national brands, with no interruptions in service delivery”, he affirmed, trying to downplay the departure of the Spanish hotel chains.
The advisor also appealed to the image of hospitality as a selling point.
“Cuba continues to welcome its visitors with the hospitality, warmth, and safety that have always set it apart. This commitment remains unchanged,” he noted.
For the Argentine market—the main source of tourists from the Southern Cone to Cuba—the message was clear:
"The destination remains open, operational, and committed to continuing to strengthen commercial ties with agencies, tour operators, and airlines in the region."
Regarding the future of the sector, Aguilera expressed optimism:
"We are convinced that new opportunities will attract other international operators interested in participating in the development of Cuban tourism. We will ensure the continuity of services and continue to elevate their quality, and Cuba will remain a benchmark for tourism in the Caribbean."
The exodus that the regime minimizes
The statements come just days after Meliá Hotels International completed its total withdrawal from the 34 hotels it managed in Cuba on July 24, marking the end of 36 years of uninterrupted presence on the island.
Iberostar, Barceló, and the Canadian company Blue Diamond Resorts joined that exit, collectively controlling around 35% of the available rooms in the country.
What Aguilera presents as an orderly transition is the largest international hotel retraction Cuba has experienced in decades.
The trigger was the Executive Order signed by Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, which designated GAESA - the military conglomerate that controls a significant portion of Cuban tourism - as a sanctioned entity.
On July 13, Washington expanded those sanctions to include MINTUR itself and nine other state entities.
Iberostar confirmed on July 21 that it no longer managed any establishments in Cuba.
Barceló did the same with its two hotels in Varadero.
The Canadian company Blue Diamond Resorts announced its closure on May 31, affecting 62 hotels and more than 12,900 rooms.
On Monday, the removal of the Meliá sign from the facade of the Cohiba Hotel in Havana became the visual symbol of the end of an era.
The reality contradicted by the figures
Official optimism clashes with data from the sector itself.
In 2025, Cuba received only 1.81 million international visitors, the lowest number since 2002 and less than half of the record 4.7 million in 2018.
Hotel occupancy fell to 12.9% in the first quarter of 2026. Between January and May 2026, only 359,491 tourists arrived, representing a 58.4% year-over-year decrease.
The regime attributes the crisis to the U.S. embargo, but the collapse of Cuba's tourism industry preceded the tightening of sanctions in 2026 by far and is a result of decades of structural deterioration of the island's economy.
A new hotel map is under construction
As a sign of welcoming new investors, Aguilera highlighted the recently signed agreement with the Italian chain Domina -founded in 2000, with over 40 establishments in Europe and Africa- to manage several hotels on the island, including one in Varadero and two in Havana.
Experts predict that the void left by Spanish chains could attract American hotel giants such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, or Wyndham in the event of a political change in Cuba.
Filed under: