Cuba Tourism Hits Bottom With 73 Percent of Hotels Closed as Havana Says It Is Opening Up
Cuba's government admits 73 percent of hotel facilities are closed, seven international chains have left and visitors fell 60.7 percent, while Havana enacts private-sector reforms and tells USA Today that Cuba is opening up. The post Cuba Tourism Hits Bottom With 73 Percent of Hotels Closed as Havana Says It Is Opening Up appeared first on The Rio Times .
Cuba's tourism industry has hit an all-time low, with 73 percent of hotels shuttered and seven international chains pulling out. In the same week, Havana announced private-sector reforms and claimed to be opening up. The collapse of the tourism sector has left around 25,000 hotel workers furloughed and left Spanish chains with up to €100 million trapped in the Cuban banking system.
In the first half of 2026, foreign visitors fell by 60.7 percent to just 387,591, compared to 985,606 visitors in the same period of 2025. Major chains such as Meliá, Iberostar, and Barceló have left the island, contributing to the decline of Cuba tourism. The government is now seeking new operators for the empty infrastructure, highlighting the Italian chain Domina, which has proposed two more hotels in Havana.
However, the grid remains a significant issue, with the entire national electricity system disconnecting in August, leaving the island without power. Despite the challenges, Cuba's tourism reforms, which include direct imports and exports without state agencies and broader rights for foreign investors to develop real estate, are expected to become law by the end of the year.
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