Cuban tourism is experiencing its worst collapse in decades, with only 450,353 international visitors from January to August 2026.
According to official data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), Cuba received only 450,353 international visitors in the first eight months of the year, a figure that represents just 35.6% of the total recorded in the same period last year, meaning 813,979 visitors fewer.
In terms of total travelers —a category that includes Cubans residing abroad and other categories of travel— the island recorded 888,756 arrivals, a 49.5% decrease compared to 2025, which translates to 906,967 fewer travelers in eight months.
The month of August was especially critical: only 30,490 international visitors arrived, compared to 133,000 in August of the previous year, a drop of over 77% in just one month.
The decline impacts all source markets without exception. Canada, historically the main source of tourists to Cuba, experienced the most severe drop in absolute numbers: it fell from 526,239 visitors in the first eight months of 2025 to only 128,400 in the same period of 2026, a loss of 397,839 people.
The Russian Federation dropped from 80,653 to 21,563 visitors, a reduction of 73.3%. Spain fell from 32,914 to 10,447 (68.2% less), Italy from 22,348 to 8,669 (61.2% less), and Argentina from 34,834 to 15,144 (56.5% less). The United States cut its visits in half: from 84,020 to 41,971. Even the Cuban community abroad traveled less: from 160,751 to 103,481 people.
The ONEI acknowledged in its social media post that "the most notable decrease was observed among visitors from Canada (397,839 fewer international visitors), the Russian Federation (59,090 fewer), the Cuban Community Abroad (57,270 fewer), and the United States (42,049 fewer)."
Behind the collapse lies a perfect storm of factors. The chronic energy crisis —with blackouts lasting over 24 hours and at least eight total disconnections of the national electrical system this year— has severely deteriorated the tourist experience and prompted travel advisories from the governments of Canada, the U.S., the UK, Argentina, and Ireland.
The shortage of aviation fuel led Canadian airlines such as Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, and Sunwing to suspend or reduce their routes to the island.
The sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on GAESA —the military conglomerate that controls a significant portion of the Cuban hotel sector— prompted the exit of at least seven international chains, including Meliá, Iberostar, and Barceló, which managed 46% of the country's hotel rooms.
The result is that 73% of Cuban hotels remain closed, with an overall hotel occupancy rate of around 21.5%.
The sector has experienced four consecutive years of free fall from pre-pandemic levels. In 2018, Cuba reached its historic peak with approximately 4.7 million international visitors; in the first eight months of 2026, the country has not even reached half a million.
Related videos:
Filed under: