Cuba’s comeback: tourism minister cites electrical upgrades; Sunwing removes more hotels

Cuban tourism officials met with travel advisors, tour operators, hoteliers, and media in Toronto Wednesday night (Nov. 12) to share destination updates — including an ambitious goal of attracting 1.1 million Canadian visitors in 2026 — and to address some of the negative perceptions the island has faced over the past year.

“Canada, for the longest time, has been Cuba’s main outbound market. We’re here because we have worked so hard to recover all the good things in our destination that Canadian visitors deserve,” said Juan Carlos García Granda, Cuba’s Minister of Tourism, speaking to PAX (in Spanish, through an English-speaking translator) at last night’s "Unica" trade appreciation event and trade show at Illuminarium, a 360° projection space in Toronto’s Distillery District.

Cuba faces the challenge of restoring traveller confidence following a series of high-profile, nationwide blackouts in 2024 that left millions without power for days—sometimes nearly a week—at a time.

As PAX reported, Cuba’s airports and most resorts remained operational during the outages, relying on backup generators to maintain tourism-related services.

The country faced another setback last year when Hurricane Rafael struck the island as a Category 3 storm, once again knocking out power across wide areas – energy that was swiftly restored.  

During a period of negative press and waning consumer confidence—right in the midst of the winter booking season—even Sunwing, one of Cuba’s strongest partners, scaled back its focus on the island to highlight “hidden gem” destinations perceived as more stable.

Still, that didn’t stop 860,877 Canadians from visiting Cuba last year, according to the Cuba Tourist Board’s data.

It’s clear that, despite Cuba’s setbacks, Canadians still have a strong appetite for the island that’s known for its smooth, seaweed-free beaches, friendly people, safety, salsa music, minty mojitos, vintage cars and authentic cigars.

As Cuba works to revitalize its tourism industry and regain traveller confidence, its aim of attracting 1.1 million Canadians next year—or at minimum exceeding last year’s figure—seems well within reach.

The destination, already, is reporting a 25 per cent increase in winter sales from Canada over last year.

“We are ready"

In his interview with PAX, Minister García Granda said Cuba has spent the past year making infrastructure and operational improvements.

Cuban officials have blamed the country’s energy failures on various things, from increased U.S. economic sanctions to disruptions caused by hurricanes to the deteriorating state of the island’s infrastructure.

Regarding Cuba’s electrical grid, García Granda noted that tourism-related entities, managed by the private sector, no longer rely solely on nationally generated power.

He explained that resorts maintain their own emergency teams and backup generators, which provide 100 per cent of their power needs.

“We are ready to face all of the problems with energy generation,” he said.

The Minister elaborated on this during a slideshow for the evening’s attendees, presenting images of electrical “microsystems”—self-sufficient power sources—operating across various Cuban regions, including Cayo Cruz, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Largo, and beyond.

He also touched on Cuba’s sometimes-fragile food supply, noting a 400 per cent increase in forage companies that are now supplying items directly to Cuba’s biggest hotels.

Testing some of these measures over the summer, and surveying visitors, Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism reported positive feedback and the momentum continues to build, García Granda said.

"Overblown" & "exaggerated" information

The Minister said Cuba faces obstacles that none of its competitors do.

“Cuba doesn't have fair competition,” he said, saying the island is frequently targeted by an “overblown and exaggerated campaign” of misinformation.

He pointed to this week’s nationwide blackout in the Dominican Republic, claiming that almost no one [abroad] was aware of it.

Cuba’s visitors, and the positive experiences they share with others, will be key to turning the country’s reputation around, he said.

“Canadians that travel to Cuba will provide the real information and share the reality of our destination,” he said. “That's the most effective thing for us right now.”

Beyond the beach

In the meantime, Cuba continues to “adapt to the new expectations of our clients,” the Minister went on to say.

“It’s our job to provide more quality in our services,” he said, noting that Cuba is steering its marketing efforts to attract younger travellers and promote activities beyond beach chairs and pools, such as cultural excursions, parties and nightlife.

“We are more than sun and beach,” he said.

Indeed: there’s lots to see and do in Cuba.

From Havana, the capital, with its colourful colonial architecture, classic cars, and lively music scene, to Varadero, famous for its pristine beaches and resorts, to Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which transports travellers back in time with cobblestone streets and colonial mansions.

For nature lovers, the Viñales Valley has dramatic limestone mogotes, tobacco fields, and hiking opportunities.

Santiago de Cuba, known for its Afro-Cuban culture and historical significance, offers a more authentic Cuban experience.

Meanwhile, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo and mountainous Holguín provide idyllic island escapes with crystal-clear waters and abundant marine life.

Setting clear expectations 

But meeting client expectations, and maintaining consistency, continues to be a key focus.

Sunwing, last year, took the lead by removing 26 hotels from its Cuba portfolio due to quality issues based on customer feedback.

The hotels were not publicly identified, with Sunwing telling PAX that doing so could negatively affect the resorts and potentially influence other tour operators.

READ MORE: Sunwing releases framework for Cuban hotels to “set clear expectations”

On the heels of that initiative, which PAX first reported, Sunwing later released a three-tier framework its all-inclusive resort partners in Cuba. 

Created to “bring transparency to the booking process,” the tiers highlight minimum standards for Cuban hotels, making it simpler for travel advisors and clients to navigate the booking process.

Quality over quantity: Sunwing removes more hotels

Spotted last night was Eric Rodriguez, executive vice president of strategic partnerships at Sunwing Vacations Group (now inclusive of both Sunwing and WestJet Vacations), who said the company’s tier system for Cuban hotels continues to evolve.

“A five-star in Cuba is not a five-star in the Dominican Republic. Obviously, the facilities and quality are much different,” he said, noting that Sunwing’s framework is meant to offer a “more realistic” take on what agents are selling, and what customers are experiencing.

After reviewing its hotels in Cuba, Sunwing lowered many of its star ratings, “by half a star, at minimum,” Rodriguez said.

“We were selling two-star [hotels] that were affordable and cheap, but didn't really resonate with the majority [of customers],” he said.

As a result, Sunwing no longer sells any hotels in Cuban that are below three stars, he said.

“We’re a lot more realistic and descriptive in terms of what hotels [offer],” he said. “I think [the framework] was well received last year from agents and we’ve kept up with it.”

In line with that, Rodriguez said Sunwing, since last year, has removed more hotels (beyond the initial 26) from its Cuba portfolio due to quality-related issues and ongoing customer complaints.

“What we're doing now is holding hotels accountable,” Rodriguez told PAX. “If they don't correct it, then we have to take them out. It's not an easy position to take because we fill a lot of volume. But we're more about quality than quantity.”

Has this led to improvements on the ground?

“Yes,” Rodriguez said. “Because [hotels] now see that there's consequences…What we see now are hotels waving us down saying, “Hey! I fixed what you told me to fix. Come and see.”

When asked what he’s most excited about in Sunwing’s Cuba portfolio this year, Rodriguez pointed to “Playa Luxury” – luxury-focused sections introduce by Gaviota Hotels, which also include “Playa Kids” (family-focused spaces).

“They’ve done a tremendous job in upgrading their hotels, offering butler service and other things we’re used to in other destinations,” he said.

Sunwing’s exclusive destination Cayo Largo, a remote island off of Cuba’s southern coast, announced in 2022, also returns for another winter season.

“It’s very quaint…you’re not going to get any hustle and bustle there,” Rodriguez said.

Cayo Largo has its own airport and Sunwing (now via WestJet Airlines) will offer direct flights from Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City this winter.

WestJet is also betting on Havana – starting December 18, and through to April 23, 2026, the airline will offer two flights per week from Toronto Pearson.

Tourism operations in Holguín, meanwhile, have fully resumed after a temporary suspension caused by Hurricane Melissa, which struck Eastern Cuba on Oct. 29.

Gihana Galindo takes the helm

Last night’s event, which featured beautiful floor-to-ceiling projections of Cuban imagery, also served as welcome party for Gihana Galindo, the Cuba Tourist Board’s new Canadian director, based in Toronto.

READ MORE: Gihana Galindo named director of Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto

She succeeds Lessner Gomez, who returns to Havana after six highly successful years leading the organization in Canada.

Speaking with PAX, Galindo said her priority will be to continue promoting Cuba – “not only in Toronto, but also in Vancouver, Halifax…everywhere in Canada.”

“Canada loves Cuba, Cuba loves Canadians,” she said.

Case in point: the 44th Edition of the International Tourism Fair of Cuba, FITCuba 2026, will be held in Varadero from May 6 to 10 and will be dedicated to Canada as the guest of honour.

A FAM trip for Canadian travel advisors will also be coordinated alongside the event, Galindo said.

Meanwhile, Cuba is aiming to once again welcome one million Canadian visitors, a milestone it last reached in 2015.

Galindo said Cuba’s pristine beaches, safety, warm hospitality will help get it there.

“Cuba is back,” she said.  

Flights & hotel updates  

What’s new in Cuba? Here’s a roundup of the destination’s latest announcements:  

New flights & connections:

WestJet is launching new direct air connections from Toronto:

• Havana: Direct flights beginning December 18 (Thursdays and Sundays).
• Cienfuegos: Direct flights via WestJet/Sunwing Vacations from December 10.
• Cayo Largo del Sur: Direct flights via WestJet/Sunwing Vacations from January 20.

Expanded hotel management & new brands:

• Domina Hotels (Italy): Managing properties including Domina Marina Varadero and future openings in Havana.
• Vila Galé Hotels (Portugal): Expanding management with three new properties: Vila Galé Cayo Santa Maria, Vila Galé Express Park View, and Vila Galé Tropical Varadero.

New Brands: Gaviota Hotels introduces "Playa Luxury" (luxury-focused sections) and "Playa Kids" (family-focused spaces), available at several major resorts.

Enhanced amenities & niche tourism:

New facilities have been added, including pickleball courts in all major destinations (like Varadero and Holguín); a kitesurfing club has opened at the Iberostar Daiquiri Hotel in Cayo Guillermo.

• Long-Stay Program: Added values for stays of 15 nights or more at select villas in Varadero and Havana, including personalized check-in/out and discounts on services.

• Romantic Travel: Redesigned symbolic wedding packages with benefits to attract the growing romantic segment.

Other improvements

Major renovations have been completed at Sol Palmeras, Meliá Varadero, and Iberostar Origin Taínos.

Cayo Santa María now offers the "Santa Maria All In" concept, providing all-inclusive access to the local plazas (Gallery, Las Dunas, and The One Collection), including bowling alleys, discos, and restaurants.

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