In brief
Cuba’s tourism sector has plunged in the first half of 2026, with visitor numbers down 58.4% as U.S. sanctions tighten. Airlines such as Air Canada have suspended flights, and Spanish hotel chains Meliá and Iberostar have ceased operations in Cuba ahead of a U.S. deadline to halt business with state‑owned Gaesa. The sanctions have worsened shortages of fuel, medicine and food, leading to power cuts, waste buildup in streets and rationing of church wafers. The national statistics agency reports fewer than 360 000 foreign tourists visited Cuba between January and May, a steep decline from the previous year, with Canadians making up the largest foreign cohort.
The country's tourist numbers have fallen by more than half in the first five months of 2026, following a tightening of U.S. sanctions that target the travel sector.
Airlines such as Air Canada have suspended flights to Havana, while Spanish hotel groups Meliá and Iberostar have halted operations at many Cuban properties ahead of a U.S. deadline that forces companies to stop business with the state‑owned Gaesa conglomerate.
The sanctions have also amplified existing shortages of fuel, medicine and food, prompting rolling blackouts, piles of rubbish on city streets and even interference with church sacraments, such as rationing of communion wafers.
According to Cuba's national statistics agency, fewer than 360,000 foreign visitors visited the island between January and May, a drop of 58.4 % compared with the same period last year; Canadians were the largest group.
