Cuban Tourism Drops 25 Percent in First Half 2025

Havana, July 24 (ACN) Cuba saw a 25 percent drop in the arrivals of international tourists in the first half of this year, standing for 981 thousand 856 visitors from January to June, some 327 thousand 799 less arrivals than same period last year, according to the National Stats and Information Office (ONEI).

Canada stands as the main source of tourists to Cuba with 428 thousand 125, but this figure only represents 75 percent of the total reported in 2023.

Meanwhile, markets like Russia, Germany, France and Spain reported significant falls as well as the United States with ta 80.6 percent drop.

The Cuban community abroad saw a reduction of visits to Cuba by 77.6 percent, some 120 thousand 423 tourists. Cuba received only 119 thousand 513 visitors in June.

Colombia was the only exception reported a 2.4 percent increase, meaning 338 additional visitors. Mexico and Argentina also reported low figures.

During a visit to Colombia, Cuba’s Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García Granda stressed the need to encourage connectivity in the regio; his objective is to reactivate the local tourism sector hard hit by the current economic crisis affecting the island nation.

Garcia Granda said that Cuba is trying to reinforce traditional markets like Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. Also important are markets in Asia and the Middle East, he said.

In 2022, Cuba received 1.6 million tourists, the figure increased to 2.4 million in 2023, but in 2024 that figure fell to 2.2 million visitors. lc