by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 11:45 AM ET, Mon May 5, 2025
The number of Canadians basking on the beaches of Varadero and dancing cha-cha in Havana’s nightclubs fell in the first quarter of 2025. According to Cuba’s national statistical agency (ONEI), tourism from Canada was down nearly 30 percent in January, February and March. Tourism was also down from Russia, Spain and Italy.
Reasons for the slump seem linked to Cuba’s economic challenges, according to reports from experts. "The reality is that the country has changed significantly for the worse since the early 1990s, when Canadians began visiting the island in large numbers," Ricardo Torres Pérez, a Cuban economist, told the CBC.
"The crisis has affected the quality of services, the state of infrastructure and has led to frequent blackouts," he said, noting there are also issues around keeping cities clean with "solid waste accumulating in the streets."
Widespread power outages affect tourists less than they affect the Cuban people, due to the use of generators in hotels and resorts, but staying at a brightly lit hotel in a darkened country is not the vacation tourists plan on.
"How do you provide an image of a carefree lifestyle, a quick, fun trip, when you have that?" asks Andrés Pertierra, a Cuba analyst who was in Havana for two extended power outages.
Cuba Looks to China
To counter the sharp decline in European and Canadian visitors, Cuba is looking to China to boost its flagging tourism industry.
"It's no secret that, recently, our country, and especially the tourism sector, is facing a complex scenario," said Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia. His remarks were part of Cuba’s first tourism fair, something it hopes to make an annual affair. The inaugural event was dedicated to China.
According to Reuters, tourism to Cuba from China was up 50 percent in 2024, helped in no small part by the direct flight Air China flies between Beijing and Havana. The flight is a long-haul 24 hours, with a stopover in Madrid, but has proved popular with Chinese visitors to the Caribbean nation. Chinese visitors to Cuba don’t require a visa which also makes travel easier.
Cuba tourism officials hope that by diversifying its visitor profile and appealing to the behemoth pool of Chinese travellers the island will attract more foreign investments and partnerships, improving the country’s appeal to visitors.
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