The Cuban tourism industryfor years described as the “locomotive of the economy,” faces one of the worst crises in its history. A report from the ideas laboratory Cuba 21st Centuryentitled “GAESA also turns off the tourism industry,” points out an alarming drop in the main indicators of the sector despite investments that exceed 24,000 million dollars in the last 15 years.
Between January and Octoberthe country received only 1,718,636 tourists, which represents a decrease of 48.23% compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. These figures are far from the 3.5 million visitors projected by the government for this year.
Hotel occupancy plummeted to 25%while the sector’s income has fallen by 61.82% in five years, going from 3,185 million dollars in 2019 a 1,216 million in 2023, according to data presented by Emilio Moralesauthor of the analysis.
The decline in tourism affects almost all key markets. The visitors of Canadawhich represent 39.41% of the total, decreased by 19.15% compared to 2019. Tourism since USA registered a drastic decrease of 73.93%, while the number of Cubans residing abroad who visited the island fell by 52.56%. In Europamarkets like United Kingdom, France e Italia experienced reductions of more than 70%.
Causes of the tourist collapse
The report attributes the crisis to various structural and political factors:
- GAESA monopoly: He Business Administration Group SA (GAESA) It concentrates financial decisions and prioritizes investments in tourism, neglecting essential sectors such as energy, transportation and agriculture.
- Systemic crisis: Constant blackouts, the deterioration of infrastructure, dengue outbreaks and increased insecurity have made Cuba in an unattractive destination.
- Exodus of qualified personnel: Mass emigration has seriously affected the quality of tourist services.
- Controversial foreign policies: The government’s alliance with Russia in the war of Ukraine and its links with questioned international actors have deteriorated the relationship with key European markets.
- The distrust of the Cuban diaspora towards official investment initiatives has redirected this segment towards alternative destinations such as Dominican Republicwhich now captures a good part of family tourism.
The collapse of Cuban tourism is a severe blow to the island’s economy. To reverse this trend, experts point out that the country will have to address structural problems such as the energy crisis, improve health security and create a favorable environment for foreign investment, in addition to regaining the trust of international markets.
Meanwhile, other Caribbean destinations continue to consolidate and attract greater flows of tourists, leaving Cuba in an increasingly backward position. The report of Cuba 21st Century judgment: “The locomotive of the Cuban economy is derailed”.
