Canadian Tourists Are Shunning Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – Canada-Cuba tourism has taken a major hit in early 2025. The number of Canadian tourists in Cuba dropped by 30 per cent in Q1 compared to the same time last year, according to industry data. Once Canada’s top Caribbean destination, Cuba is now struggling with growing dissatisfaction among Canadian travelers due to poor infrastructure, electricity outages, and overall travel discomfort.
Cuba’s economic crisis has created persistent shortages of food, fuel, and basic medical supplies. These issues, once mostly experienced by locals, are now affecting tourists directly. Visitors have reported issues like unreliable power, poor hotel maintenance, and even unclean conditions in resort towns.
Cuba’s infrastructure crisis drives away Canadians
Travel agencies across Canada are seeing declining interest in Cuba vacations. According to Amra Durakovic of Flight Centre Canada, Canadian tourists are actively avoiding Cuba in favor of more reliable destinations like Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
People are concerned about cleanliness, electricity and access to essentials. The lack of consistent services in Cuba makes planning a holiday there very stressful,” Durakovic said.
The Canadian government’s travel advisory for Cuba was recently updated, warning travelers about limited availability of basic goods and highlighting frequent, extended power outages. Canadian travelers are being advised to pack necessary medications and to be prepared for service interruptions throughout their stay.
Even though some of Cuba’s luxury resorts are equipped with backup generators, the overall experience has been compromised. Visitors have reported broken water systems, uncollected trash, and increased petty theft—all contributing to the perception that Cuba is no longer the carefree, affordable paradise it once was for Canadian vacationers.
Canada-Cuba tourism decline shifts Caribbean travel trends
Cuba’s tourism industry heavily relies on Canada, its single largest source of visitors. The sharp drop in Canadian tourists in Cuba is causing a ripple effect through the island’s economy. Many resort workers and small businesses dependent on tourism are now facing serious income loss.
While some loyal Canadian travelers still visit Cuba for its history and people, many are now questioning whether travel to Cuba is ethical, given the contrast between tourist luxury and local hardship.
The broader implication is a shift in Caribbean tourism trends. Countries offering better services, safety, and infrastructure are now attracting Canadian travelers who once defaulted to Cuba. If Cuba doesn’t act swiftly to resolve infrastructure and safety challenges, it risks losing a vital tourism market permanently.
[Editor’s Note: The Cuban government is now heavily promoting its tourism in Russia and China although the potential number of tourists would be far less than the Canadian market.]
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First published by The Economic Times.
You’re reading The Havana times for the last several months and watching how the country has declined I am very grateful that I got to visit Cuba a bit over a year ago. It’s a beautiful Island and the people are friendly and outgoing. Since I’ve come back all I keep reading about are the shortages of food the lack of electricity and even while I was there there was no medication or basic items in any of the stores. I can only imagine it has gone downhill since then. Even though I’ve shared my story of how much I enjoyed Havana with all my friends and family I don’t feel like I could in good conscious suggest they vacation there now.
Wow! Losing even a measurable percentage of Canadian tourists would deal a major blow to Cuba’s bottom line. Obviously, hotel revenues would fall but also the income to restaurants. I hope someone can also contribute a story about the significant drop in Cuba’s sugar harvest for this year. Some say it could be as much as half of what was reported last year. No tourists, and no sugar is bad enough. But to complete the trifecta, as we now begin the hurricane season this month. If Cuba suffers the setback of a major hurricane this season, it may finally be lights out for the Castros. Before anyone criticizes me for hoping for a natural disaster to hit the island, keep in mind that Cuba has one of the best civil protection systems in the Caribbean. The loss of life from a hurricane is not the problem in Cuba. But if a storm of any measure were to further damage the power grid, a long-term blackout all over the country is a real possibility. Anyway, Raul didn’t look like he was on his last lap at the May Day parade so maybe it’s not all bad news. Still, fewer Canadian tourists and a much smaller sugar harvest may just be what it takes to bring about the changes necessary to turn things around in Cuba.
The cuban resorts have 8-man crews cutting the grass and doing landscaping. People dont notice that. They notice the grout needs to be redone in their rooms or the sliding doors get stuck or the curtains smell. Free up those men to work in the rooms. I can update a 2 star room to a 5 star room in a week and $200 in supplies and it would last for years.
The police in Cuba no longer provide security during blackouts except in major hotels . Other countries are safer and cheaper now