Cuba tourism collapses as US pressure campaign bites
Key takeaways
- Vanessa Buschschlüter Latin America online editor Getty Images Fuel shortages means even fewer cars are on the road in Havana then before sanctions were tightened.
- Fewer than 360,000 people visited the Communist-run island in the first five months of 2026, a decrease of 58.4% compared to the same period last year, according to Onei.
- The Trump administration has targeted the tourism sector, a key source of income for Cuba's beleaguered government, as part of its pressure campaign against the island's leadership.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Vanessa Buschschlüter Latin America online editor Getty Images Fuel shortages means even fewer cars are on the road in Havana then before sanctions were tightened. The number of foreign travellers visiting Cuba has plummeted since the beginning of the year amid tightened US sanctions, figures released by Cuba's national statistics agency suggest.
Fewer than 360,000 people visited the Communist-run island in the first five months of 2026, a decrease of 58.4% compared to the same period last year, according to Onei.
The Trump administration has targeted the tourism sector, a key source of income for Cuba's beleaguered government, as part of its pressure campaign against the island's leadership.