Tourism in Cuba plummets in high season: not even Russians travel!

Preliminary data from the Ministry of Tourism in Cuba indicated that the collapse of the leisure industry on the island persists during the low season, with both Canadians and Russians leading the declines. Both countries were the hope of the leaders of this sector.

Tourism in Cuba faces a complicated outlook following the end of the 2024-2025 high season, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Tourism, expanded upon by economist Pedro Montreal. The figures show that the arrival of visitors fell significantly compared to the previous year.

One of the hardest blows was suffered by the Russian market, which until recently was considered a lifeline for the Cuban tourism industry.

Between January and February 2025, the number of Russian tourists decreased by 49%, dropping from 43,859 in 2024 to only 22,306 this year. This drastic decline raises concerns in the sector, as Russia was one of the main sources of travelers to the island and the hope to rescue tourism in Cuba.

Russian tourism in Cuba in free fall

Montreal too noted la contracción de los cuatro mercados más importantes para Cuba: Canadá, la comunidad cubana en el exterior, Estados Unidos y Rusia.

In the case of Canada, which remains the largest source of tourists, the arrival of travelers decreased by 30 in January.

A pesar de que aerolíneas como Sunwing, Air Canada y Air Transat siguen operando vuelos desde ciudades como Quebec, Ottawa, Halifax, Toronto y Montreal, el número de visitantes sigue en declive.

Por otro lado, la llegada de turistas europeos también registró una tendencia negativa. Alemania tuvo una reducción del 14,7%, Francia un 22%, mientras que España e Italia experimentaron caídas del 25,21% y 25,82%, respectivamente.

De Europa también existen varias aerolíneas conectando, sobre todo desde Madrid, con Iberia, Air Europa o World2fly, pero el flujo sigue siendo mínimo.

Igualmente, los turistas rusos tienen varias opciones de vuelos para hacer turismo en Cuba en esta temporada, con compañías como Nordwind o Rossiya, que vuelan desde Moscú a La Habana o Cayo Coco.

Esta crisis en el turismo cubano pone en evidencia la necesidad de nuevas estrategias para atraer visitantes y recuperar la estabilidad del sector.