The Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) of Cuba has sought 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 to the 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 administration.
The advisor of MINTUR delivered a reassuring message to operators and travel agencies in the Southern Cone, who have increased their inquiries in recent weeks due to the uncertainty generated by the hotel withdrawal.
“Hotels on the island remain open and the destination continues to operate normally,” affirmed Aguilera.
"The hotel industry is fully operational and there is no impact on travelers," the official added.
Regarding Cuba's ability to manage these facilities independently, Aguilera argued that decades of collaboration with international groups left a valuable technical legacy.
“Cuba has acquired the necessary know-how to ensure the service standards and quality that characterize our destination. Hotels continue to remain open and operate under national brands, with no interruptions in service provision,” he asserted, attempting to downplay the departure of 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. That commitment remains unchanged,” he noted.
For the Argentine market—the main source of tourists from the Southern Cone to Cuba—the message was direct:
"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 improve their quality, and Cuba will remain a benchmark for tourism in the Caribbean."
The exodus that the regime downplays
The statements come days after Meliá Hotels International completed its total withdrawal from the 34 hotels it managed in Cuba on July 24, bringing an end to 36 years of uninterrupted presence on the island.
Iberostar, Barceló, and the Canadian company Blue Diamond Resorts joined that exit, collectively controlling about 35% of the available rooms in the country.
What Aguilera presents as an orderly transition is actually the largest international hotel retreat 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 large part 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 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 the sector's own data.
In 2025, Cuba received only 1.81 million international visitors, the lowest since 2002 and less than half of the record of 4.7 million in 2018.
Hotel occupancy dropped to 12.9% in the first quarter of 2026. Between January and May 2026, only 359,491 tourists arrived, marking a 58.4% year-on-year decline.
The regime blames the crisis on the U.S. embargo, but the Cuban tourism collapse predates the tightening of sanctions in 2026 by a wide margin and is the result of decades of structural decline in the island's economy.
A new hotel map is under construction
As a sign of opening up to new investors, Aguilera highlighted the recently signed agreement with the Italian chain Domina -founded in 2000, with more than 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 space left by the Spanish chains could attract American hotel giants such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, or Wyndham in the event of a political change in Cuba.
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