Almost half of travellers arriving in Cuba are no longer tourists, report finds

Nearly one in every two people arriving in Cuba is no longer visiting for a vacation, according to a new report that underscores the island's deepening tourism crisis as international visitor numbers plummet and foreign tourism operators continue pulling back from the market.

The findings come as several international hotel companies have reduced or ended their operations in Cuba, Canadian airlines and tour operators continue to suspend service to the island, and the Cuban government attempts to revive the struggling sector through a sweeping package of economic reforms.

According to a report by research centre Cuba Siglo XXI, Cubans living abroad accounted for 47.6 per cent of all arrivals to the island in May 2026 – an unprecedented share that researchers say reflects the collapse of traditional tourism.

As first reported by CiberCuba, a Cuban media outlet, the figures are based on calculations by Emilio Morales, author of the report, using entry statistics from Cuba's National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).

READ MORE: Cuba unveils sweeping free-market tourism reforms amid foreign investor exodus

Unlike traditional leisure travellers, many of these visitors are returning to see family members while bringing food, medicine, household necessities and financial support to relatives coping with Cuba's ongoing economic hardship.

The report notes that many stay with family rather than in hotels and typically do not participate in conventional tourism activities.

Visitor numbers drop

The shift in traveller demographics comes as Cuba's international tourism sector continues to contract.

Between January and May 2026, the island nation welcomed 359,491 international visitors, down 58.45 per cent compared to the same period last year and 82.74 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, according to the report.

Hotel occupancy has also continued to weaken, falling from 23 per cent in March 2025 to 18.9 per cent a year later before dropping to just 12.9 per cent in May 2026.

For years, Cuba invested billions of dollars in hotel construction and tourism infrastructure, much of it managed by military-run conglomerate GAESA, betting that growing visitor numbers would generate foreign currency.

The report argues that strategy has faltered as tourism demand weakens while the country's broader economic challenges intensify.

Researchers contend that investment in luxury hotels came as electricity generation, public transportation, agriculture, water infrastructure and healthcare continued to deteriorate.

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High-profile power outages, fuel shortages, food scarcity and transportation disruptions are now affecting both residents and visitors, the report claims.

It concludes that Cuba's economic crisis, deteriorating public services, declining destination competitiveness and recent U.S. sanctions targeting GAESA and its network are accelerating the decline of a sector long viewed as one of the country's primary economic pillar.

Foreign operators retreat

The report arrives as several international tourism companies reassess their presence on the island.

Meliá Hotels International officially ended all of its operations in Cuba on July 24, citing persistent operational, legal and financial challenges.

The move marked the Spanish hotel company's complete withdrawal from the destination after it began scaling back its presence in June by ending management agreements with the state-owned Gaviota tourism group.

As previously reported, the company said ongoing operational difficulties, compounded by U.S. sanctions, had made it impossible to maintain even a minimum level of operational stability.

Its departure includes ending the use of Meliá hotel brands in Cuba, winding down tourism-related services and discontinuing local supply chain operations supporting its hotels.

Meliá had already signalled its retreat earlier this year. During its first-quarter earnings report in May, the company said it had reduced its operational capacity in Cuba by approximately 50 per cent because of U.S. sanctions.

READ MORE: Blue Diamond Resorts to exit Cuba

At the time, its Cuban portfolio consisted of 34 hotels with more than 14,000 rooms, although several properties had already closed. Plans to open two additional hotels this year are now expected to be shelved.

Other international hotel groups, including Iberostar, Archipelago International and Canada's Blue Diamond Resorts, have also reassessed their ties to Cuba amid growing pressure from the United States.

Canadian service remains suspended

As previously reported, Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat — along with tour operators Sunwing Vacations, Air Canada Vacations and Transat — continue to suspend their Cuba operations until further notice.

Global Affairs Canada also continues to advise Canadians against non-essential travel to Cuba.

READ MORE: “There continues to be steady demand”: Why some tour operators are still promoting Cuba

Some tour operators, however, have continued to market vacations to the destination through alternative air routes.

Enjoy Travel Group and Hola Sun Holidays, for example, have promoted Cuba packages via connecting flights through Mexico City, Cancun and Panama.

Cuba betting on reforms

Despite the challenges, Cuban officials are attempting to reposition the sector.

In June, the government announced what it described as an "historic package" of 176 free-market reforms intended to revitalize the tourism industry.

According to the Cuba Tourist Board, the measures are designed to reduce state control, expand private enterprise and attract new international investment following years of declining visitor arrivals, financial constraints and the withdrawal of several foreign tourism operators.

"We are excited to be part of this extraordinary chapter," said Gihana Galindo, director of the Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto, in a statement at the time. "These reforms mark a milestone that allows our industry to be more sustainable, autonomous, and resilient."

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