The worst figure is for travelers from Russia, which fell by 45.5% compared to last year.
14ymedio, Havana, 28 June 2025 — Tourism data is being released for another month, and the plummeting statistics are no longer surprising. Compared to the same period in 2024, 862,343 travelers had arrived on the island as of May 31, a 26.6% decrease. In the fifth month of the year, the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) recorded the arrival of some 120,000 tourists, a figure similar to that of 2022 at the same time, when the country was still suffering the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last May’s performance was, in short, the worst in the last three years for that month, despite Havana’s efforts to encourage tourism to the island. At the top of the list is Canada, which continues to send the largest number of travelers—387,404 through May—but still saw nearly 30% fewer Canadians arriving than in 2024.
The worst figures come from travelers from Russia, a country that has pledged to the Cuban regime to improve tourism on the island, but whose efforts continue to fall on deaf ears. In total, only 56,089 Russians arrived in the first five months of 2025, a 45.5% decrease compared to the previous year.
The Russians are followed by Europeans: Germany (33% less), France (26.8%), Italy (25.7%) and Spain (25.4%), which confirms a trend that has been maintained for several months: the lack of interest in the Island on the part of nationals of these countries, as Cuba continues to lose appeal in Europe.
Also in the Onei top 10 are Cubans abroad (22.6% less), the United States (20%), Mexico (11.1%) and, with the best data, Argentina, although it still registers a decrease, in this case of 7%.
Also in the Onei top 10 are Cubans living abroad (22.6% less), the United States (20%), Mexico (11.1%), and, with the best figure, Argentina, although it also recorded a 7% decrease. All countries in the Onei ranking, without exception, have registered a decrease, ranging from 7% to 45%.
Despite all this, the decline has slowed compared to previous months, although not significantly. At the end of February, for example, Cuba had received 30% fewer visitors than in the same period last year, a figure slightly worse than the 26.6% drop seen this May.
The state of the tourism sector, which is constantly shrinking despite significant investment, is a headache for the Havana government. Just three days ago, tourism minister Juan Carlos García Granda proposed the creation of a common space in Latin America accessible with a single visa. He outlined the idea in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País during a meeting with industry leaders in Colombia held at the Dann Carlton Hotel, north of Bogotá.
“Perhaps we need to start talking about visas that can be used across multiple countries, as is the case with the Schengen Area in Europe. We need to see how the world has done it and apply it to the region to attract shared benefits from such distant tourist flows,” said García Granda.
He also acknowledged the lack of interest of the European market in the island, which has forced the country to look for other options in China or Russia.
He also acknowledged the European market’s lack of interest in the island, which has forced the Island to seek other options in China or Russia. “We already have better flows that we want to grow. And we want to do so by providing a unique offering as a region that benefits us and that we can share,” he added.
However, the proposal doesn’t seem likely to materialize in the immediate future, as Cuba is desperate to attract foreign currency in the midst of an economic crisis. At the same time, other destinations in the region are flourishing, leaving the island behind. In the first quarter of the year alone, the Dominican Republic , with cultural and sun-and-beach offerings similar to those in Cuba, had already broken a traveler record, with more than 3 million visits.
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.