The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom (FCDO) updated its official travel advisory for Cuba last Friday, maintaining the official recommendation of "do not travel to Cuba unless essential."
The review includes new sections on street protests, electrical grid failures, shortages of fuel and water, disruptions in air connectivity, and restrictions on transactions with international cards on the island.
Cuba is experiencing an economic crisis that is "getting worse."
The FCDO clearly describes the situation on the island.
"Cuba is experiencing an increasingly dire economic situation, with shortages of fuel, electricity, water, and other basic necessities. This is impacting tourism services and disrupting travel within the country," the statement specifies.
The document indicates that this deterioration has triggered frequent protests.
“So far, most of these have remained peaceful, but we must be aware that the protests can escalate,” warns the organization, which advises its citizens to stay away from large gatherings.
The FCDO also warns of an increase in opportunistic crime, linked to economic and social deterioration.
Repeated outages and the risk of new collapses
The energy crisis occupies a central place in the update.
The FCDO warns that "the Cuban national electrical grid has collapsed multiple times in recent months" and that, "given the current circumstances, new collapses are likely to occur."
Cuban authorities have implemented fuel rationing, reduced public services, and made adjustments in health, education, transportation, and tourism to conserve "very limited" energy supplies.
The British government advises travelers to "conserve fuel, water, food, and mobile phone charge" and warns: "be prepared for significant disruptions."
Airports without fuel and airlines leaving Cuba
Another critical point of the warning concerns air connectivity.
The FCDO states that "Cuban authorities have announced that all their international airports are out of aviation fuel," and that only Terminal 3 of the José Martí International Airport is operational.
Among the airlines that have suspended operations are all Canadian airlines, as well as Air France, Iberia, World2Fly, and LATAM.
The organization warns that Cuban airports continue to be out of fuel for aircraft and that “options for leaving the country could further diminish if the situation worsens.”
For those already on the island, the FCDO sends a direct message: “The situation has the potential to deteriorate rapidly and without warning. Make sure to be prepared to change your plans quickly if necessary.”
International cards blocked: cash only
The warning also addresses the issue of payments. The FCDO reminds that the Central Bank of Cuba announced that Visa and Mastercard are no longer operating on the island since June, leaving travelers without the possibility of withdrawing cash from ATMs using foreign cards.
“If you need to visit Cuba, you should bring enough cash to cover your expenses for the entire stay and in case of emergencies, such as medical treatment or delayed departure. US dollars and euros are widely accepted,” the statement indicates.
A tourism in free fall
The British warning adds to those issued by Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland, among other countries, throughout 2026.
The impact on the sector is devastating: between January and August, only 450,353 international visitors arrived in Cuba, a 64.4% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.
Hotel occupancy does not exceed 10%, and the state chain Gaviota has closed 20 hotels in Cayo Santa María, leaving over 7,000 workers unemployed, a figure that illustrates the extent of the crisis facing the Cuban regime.
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