As of October 2024, Cuba's tourism industry has managed to attract a mere 2,490,770 visitors, falling significantly short of its revised goal of three million for the year, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). In their latest report, "Arrival of Travelers. International Visitors, October 2024," it is detailed that this figure represents only 96.1% of the total from the same period in 2023, marking a decrease of 101,256 visitors.
Despite growth in markets like Canada and the Russian Federation, the tourism sector grapples with considerable challenges. Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García recently acknowledged that Cuba might not meet its target of three million foreign visitors this year, attributing the shortfall to factors such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and the economic pressures stemming from the U.S. embargo, as reported by the state-run website Cubadebate.
According to ONEI, the markets showing the most growth towards Cuba in 2024 include Canada (97.1%), the Russian Federation (107.0%), Mexico (103.7%), the Cuban community abroad (82.2%), and the United States (90.6%). Other notable increases are seen from Spain (73.1%), Germany (95.2%), France (90.9%), Argentina (97.4%), and Italy (84.4%).
Hotel Capacity Versus Reality
The Cuban regime boasts of a hotel infrastructure offering over 80,000 rooms, with 75% classified as four or five-star accommodations. However, it neglects to mention that many of these rooms remain unoccupied, and investments continue despite more urgent needs elsewhere. At least 18 international hotel chains, including nine from Spain, are involved in managing these properties on the island.
Efforts to Boost Air Connectivity
On the aviation front, 57 airlines are operating from 32 countries. The regime collaborates with the Cuban Civil Aviation Corporation to restore 2019 operation levels, employing policies to incentivize airlines. The tourism sector includes 24 joint ventures focused on hotel and real estate development, with 15 already executing investments.
Moreover, there are 128 management and marketing contracts across hotels, totaling 56,928 rooms, which account for 65% of the country's hotel capacity. Nevertheless, even with these incentives, Cuba struggles to meet its visitor arrival goals.
Especially over the past year, numerous tourists have reported shortages on the island, and a Canadian agency even removed 26 Cuban hotels from its offerings due to the poor conditions of many facilities.