Cuba fights against tourism crisis: blockade hits the dream island hard!

Cuba fights against tourism crisis: blockade hits the dream island hard!

The Cuban tourism industry is faced with considerable challenges, which are reinforced by a stricter US blockade, negative media campaigns and harassment against travelers. The attractiveness of classic cars that shape the streets of Cuba is contrasting to the difficulties with which the Cuban economy is fighting. This industry is an important foreign exchange source, but also an Achilles' heel for the country. According to reports from Junge Welt came in the first quarter of 2025 only 571.772 international guests to Cuba, which is a decline in 30%compared to the previous year corresponds. The target of 2.6 million visitors this year has moved far away.

Immediately after Donald Trump's taking office, Kuba was again placed on the US list "Terror-supporting states", which significantly affects international relationships and access to peripheral financial sex. This measure not only has negative effects on tourism, but also leads to problems with the use of important platforms such as Airbnb. Since February 2025, Cuban hosts have no longer been able to use the online portal, and Expedia has also announced that it will no longer accept bookings in Cuba.

court judgment against Expedia

A Federal Supreme Court in Florida recently made a judgment against the Expedia Group, which is another difficult blow for the Cuban tourism sector. According to ciber cuba Cuban-American plaintiff Mario Echevarría awarded $ 29.8 million. The verdict is the first of its kind under the Helms Burton Act and is a victory for the plaintiffs, which in this context can require compensation for companies that act with the Cuban government confiscated property.

Echevarría had asserted the right to compensation due to lost property in Cayo Coco, which was expropriated in 1959 as part of the Agricultural Reform Act. The affected companies of Expedia, including Hotels.com and Orbitz, were held responsible for booking hotels on this expropriated country. The jury decided that companies gained economic benefits without checking the ownership relationships. Expedia could possibly make an appeal against the judgment, but an official confirmation is still pending.

Effective measures and optimism of the government

Despite these setbacks, the Cuban government is optimistic. New concepts and partnerships are on the plan to revitalize the tourism industry. From November 2025, direct flights between Cuba and Germany are also planned, which are striving for further increase in the number of visitors. Cuba remains a fascinating travel destination due to its cultural -historical diversity and the impressive natural goals, and the expectations for a recovery of the tourism figures remain.