The decline in Canadian tourism to Cuba is reflected in the sales of Durham Travel, an agency located in Courtice, Ontario, east of Toronto.
The agency recorded over 389,000 Canadian dollars in travel sales to Cuba during 2025 and only 24,000 dollars so far in 2026, according to a report by The Canadian Press published this Saturday, November 7.
The evolution of sales to the Dominican Republic shows a contrast. The same agency increased from approximately one million Canadian dollars in 2025 to nearly 1.3 million in the first part of 2026.
"The Dominican Republic seems to have absorbed most of the gap left by Cuba," noted John Wood, president of Durham Travel.
Statistics Canada data reflects the downturn in the Canadian market. Before the pandemic, more than one million Canadians visited Cuba each year. By 2025, that number had dropped to around 700,000, while in the first quarter of 2026, only 127,000 Canadian visits to the island were recorded, according to statistics cited by The Canadian Press.
The crisis intensified in early 2026, when the shortage of aviation fuel at Cuban airports led to the suspension of flights from companies like Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet. The disruptions, initially temporary, extended over the coming months until they became indefinite suspensions of services to Cuba.
On June 5th, Sunwing Vacations Group announced the indefinite suspension of all its operations in Cuba, until further notice. The announcement coincided with the deadline set by Washington for foreign companies to dissociate from entities linked to the military conglomerate GAESA and to avoid potential U.S. sanctions.
The consequences for Cuba's tourist infrastructure are also significant. At the end of July, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged before the National Assembly that 73% of the country's hotel facilities remained closed, leaving approximately 25,000 workers in a state of availability.
In October, the Gaviota Tourism Group, part of GAESA, had only 3,470 rooms operational out of more than 30,000 it claimed to own, which is equivalent to 11.6% of its accommodation capacity.
Choosing another destination represents a larger expenditure for Canadians accustomed to vacationing in Cuba. A seven-day package at a four-star resort in Varadero, including flights from Toronto, cost less than 1,400 Canadian dollars per person during the last winter season.
A trip comparable to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Jamaica now costs around $1,800, according to data from Flight Centre Canada.
Wood explained that many of his regular clients from Cuba were travelers looking to make the most of their budget. Some visited the island three, four, or five times a year thanks to the affordable prices. "And now they can no longer do that," he lamented.
Ashley Harold, an agent from Flight Centre Canada, noted that travelers are spreading their bookings across various destinations. "There is no new Cuba. Canadians are distributing their winter trips among a much wider mix of destinations and types of travel," she explained.
Among the alternatives are Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Aruba, and Barbados, as well as cruises through the Caribbean and tours in countries like Costa Rica and Peru.
Some Canadians are also choosing tourist destinations within their own country. Harold noted that Mexico remains the top destination among Flight Centre Canada clients, despite its higher prices.
The Government of Canada continues to recommend avoiding non-essential travel to Cuba due to shortages of fuel, electricity, food, water, and medicine, issues that also impact the services of resort complexes and ground transportation.
Harold warned that travelers accustomed to prices in Cuba will need to adjust their economic expectations before booking vacations in other destinations.
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