CUBAN TOURISM FALLS SHORT OF 3.5 MILLION TOURISTS TARGET

The number of international tourists visiting Cuba in 2023 increased by 151 percent compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 2.4 million travelers. However, this increase did not meet the Cuban government’s target of hosting 3.5 million visitors.

This figure was 42.8% less than the number of tourists visiting the country before the pandemic, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and Information (ONEI).

This is the second year in a row that Cuban tourism has failed to meet its annual tourism target. In 2022, 1.6 million visitors came to the country, below the target of 1.7 million.

The most important markets for Cuban tourism in 2023 were Canada (936,436), Russia (184,819), the United States (159,032), Spain (89,285) and Germany (69,475). Among these countries, Russian tourists showed the biggest increase in visits to Cuba compared to 2022, with an increase of almost 340 percent. Additionally, the Cuban community abroad has made significant contributions to the tourism industry, accounting for 358,481 of the 2.4 million international visitors.

According to ONEI data, Cuba hosted the most international tourists in March (263,465), followed by December (259,139) and January (249,215). High season for tourists in Cuba runs from November to March.

Although it is a popular destination, Cuba’s tourism industry has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic and has not reached the 4.5 million tourists it received in 2019. This contrasts with similar tourist destinations in the region such as Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Cancun (Mexico), which are currently receiving record numbers of visitors.