Cuba’s tourism has collapsed after US sanctions tighten

Tue Jun 16 2026 15:08:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

U.S. sanctions have drained foreign tourists from Cuba, slashing visitor numbers by 58% and forcing airlines to leave the island.

U.S. sanctions pushed by the Trump administration have forced airlines and hotels to pull out of Cuba, cutting foreign visitors by 58% between January and May 2026. Air Canada and other carriers have stopped flights, and Spanish chains Meliá and Iberostar ceased operations following a June deadline for companies to stop doing business with state‑owned Gaesa. Cuba’s tourism sector – the island’s largest income source – is now in crisis, as the blockade has worsened fuel and food shortages, caused blackouts and even led to piles of garbage in Havana streets. State news reports a steep drop in cancer survival rates and rationed communion wafers, highlighting the wider impact on everyday life.

Cuba’s tourism has collapsed after US sanctions tighten

U.S. sanctions pushed by the Trump administration have forced airlines and hotels to pull out of Cuba, cutting foreign visitors by 58% between January and May 2026.

Air Canada and other carriers have stopped flights (after a fuel shortage), and Spanish chains Meliá and Iberostar ceased operations following a June deadline for companies to stop doing business with the state‑owned Gaesa.

Cuba’s tourism sector – the island’s largest income source – is now in crisis, as the blockade has worsened fuel and food shortages, caused blackouts and even led to piles of garbage in Havana streets.

State news reported a steep drop in cancer survival rates and rationed communion wafers, highlighting the wider impact on everyday life.