The deep crisis in tourism in Cuba is causing European tour operators to gradually leave the island and redirect their operations to other Caribbean destinations, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Venezuela.
According to a report by Infobae based on data from Hosteltur, European tour operators who for years promoted Cuba as a sun and beach destination are redirecting their clients to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and in a paradoxical twist, Venezuela.
The most noteworthy case is that of World2Fly, an airline from the Iberostar group, which will launch a weekly charter flight between Lisbon and Isla Margarita on June 1, 2027, with 355 seats per trip.
The packages, marketed by Newblue —the tour operator of the World2Meet group focused on the Portuguese market— start from 1,490 euros per person for all-inclusive stays in four and five-star hotels.
The choice of Margarita is not coincidental: the Venezuelan destination directly replaces Varadero, which was listed in Newblue's catalog for the summer of 2026 before the Cuban crisis forced the cancellation of that route. The Iberostar group had already closed the hotels it managed in Cuba, and World2Fly eliminated its only connection to the island, the Madrid–Havana route, in May.
Iberia, for its part, has suspended its direct flights to Cuba at least until June 30, 2027. The airline ceased operations on the route on June 1, 2026, after months of technical stops for refueling in Santo Domingo, a direct result of the lack of Jet A-1 fuel at Cuban airports.
Ten of these airports —including Havana, Varadero, Holguín, and Santiago de Cuba— maintain official notices of fuel shortages until December 1, 2026, according to notifications issued by the Cuban Air Navigation Company.
The tour operator Soltour has also adjusted its offerings. Its CEO, Mateo Ramón, stated to Hosteltur that they were "moving travelers to both Caribbean destinations [Dominican Republic and Jamaica], with a positive response from demand."
The impact on Cuban tourism is historic. Cuba received only 477,707 international visitors between January and September 2026, a decline of 65.1% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged in July that 73% of hotel facilities were closed and that approximately 25,000 workers were without regular employment.
Gaviota, the tourism division of the military conglomerate GAESA, had only 3,470 rooms operational in November out of more than 30,000 under its control, while the regime continued to build hotels in recent years despite the demand plummeting.
The geopolitical paradox is striking: Venezuela, a historical ally of the Cuban regime and its main financier for decades through subsidized oil, now emerges as the primary beneficiary of the island's tourism collapse.
The Venezuelan government received 419,872 foreign passengers by air between January and July 2026, according to its Ministry of Tourism. In September, Minister Daniella Cabello met with representatives from Sunwing Vacation Group to discuss the return of Margarita to the tourist circuits of Canada —which for years was Cuba's main outbound market—.
This Wednesday, the first charter flight from Poland arrived in Porlamar with 333 tourists from Katowice, as part of a program that anticipates 21 flights and over 7,500 European visitors until March 2027. Copa Airlines also announced direct flights from Panama to Porlamar starting November 26, with three weekly frequencies.
Air Europa is the only Spanish airline that operates direct flights to Cuba, with four weekly flights from Madrid to Havana, although there is a technical stop for refueling in Santo Domingo on the return trip, and tickets during the holiday season could exceed 1,400 euros for a round trip.
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