In 2018, Cuba welcomed 4.7 million visitors to the island. By comparison, only around 1.81 million international arrivals were recorded in 2025, following the implementation of new embargo-related measures by the Trump administration, which was even lower than the COVID-19 period. However, 2026 is likely to mark the lowest level of international tourists in several decades, on account of intensified efforts by the Trump White House to pressure the Cuban government into instituting political changes that would serve US interests.
New embargo measures introduced by Washington in January effectively amount to an oil blockade, causing serious fuel shortages across the island. They have led to the cancellation of thousands of flights to Cuba, which has caused an unprecedented crisis for the tourism sector on the island, with severe economic consequences for hotels, airlines, and other tourism-dependent businesses. Moreover, Canada and Russia sent empty planes to Cuba in February to bring their citizens back home.
The Trump administration also introduced additional measures directly targeting Cuba’s tourism sector, which is one of the country’s principal sources of foreign exchange. On July 13, 2026, the United States sanctioned Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), freezing its US-based assets and prohibiting US individuals and companies from engaging in transactions with the ministry. The measures also increased pressure on international hotel chains and foreign investors, as the US Treasury Department established a deadline of August 12, 2026 by which foreign companies and financial institutions were instructed to terminate existing contracts with sanctioned entities or risk exposure to secondary US sanctions.
By further restricting the ability of the Cuban government to access foreign currencies, the US is limiting the capacity of the island nation to finance imports of essential goods. With that in mind, it is important to emphasize that Cuba is required to make cash payments in advance when it buys food and medicine from US companies; no other payment options are available. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described the recent measures as an “act of collective punishment” and a systematic violation of the human rights of the Cuban people, consistent with his characterization of the sanctions that preceded them.
The new embargo measures have heightened concerns about potential fines, secondary sanctions, and legal liability, prompting numerous banks, financial institutions, shipping and logistics companies, and foreign investors to curtail or terminate their operations and services involving Cuba. Notably, Blue Diamond Resorts ceased all operations in Cuba on May 30, 2026. This was followed by Iberostar, which officially confirmed that it had completely concluded its operations and would no longer manage or market properties on the island, effective July 21, 2026. Most significantly, Meliá Hotels International concluded its hotel management operations in Cuba a few days later, on July 24, 2026. Collectively, these consecutive withdrawals mark a critical point in the structural dynamics of the island’s tourism sector. The operational standards, managerial practices, and emphasis on professionalism and respect established by Meliá Hotels International and Iberostar played a significant role in enhancing Cuba’s appeal as a tourist destination. Resorts previously managed by Meliá are now under the administration of the Cuban state until new management arrangements can be established through future investment agreements.
The decline in tourism affects not only hotels, but also a wide range of tourism-dependent businesses and occupations. For example, the substantial drop in tourists has led to restaurants, tour operators, taxi drivers, street vendors, dancers, musicians, and other entertainers experiencing significant losses of income, or even unemployment. Moreover, given that so many households are dependent on tourism as their primary source of income, a greater share of total consumer spending needs to be allocated to obtaining increasingly expensive basic necessities, which hurts other sectors of the economy and could result in the closure of small businesses.
Regardless of whether tourism-based income is spent by the Cuban state, or by the small private sector, fewer resources will be available to ordinary Cubans overall. Ultimately, significant job and income losses, coupled with diminishing economic prospects, will likely contribute to higher emigration, as individuals and families leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
Since the Cuban Socialist Revolution prevailed in 1959, the American government has resorted to coercive measures to achieve regime change. The centerpiece of the US strategy was the illiberal and authoritarian embargo that it imposed on Cuba the following year. This policy instrument was consciously designed to coerce Cuba into becoming a closed commercial state. For decades, the embargo prevented Cuba from developing economic ties, trade relationships, and business opportunities with other countries. In doing so, it has deprived Cubans of access to international markets, capital, technology, and investment. Ultimately, the US commitment to maintaining and strengthening the embargo has significantly delayed Cuba’s economic development and undermined whatever prospects might have existed for a more open and liberal economic order.
Beyond the issue of economic sanctions lies a broader concern regarding sovereignty and the limits of political power. Washington’s open interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign nation should concern everyone, regardless of their political commitments or ideological views. This is particularly true of the statements by Donald Trump and Marco Rubio about controlling or reshaping Cuba’s political future under the guise of establishing a “friendly” relationship. Those who genuinely value freedom and natural rights should oppose the economic war that the US is waging against Cuba. Decades of sanctions have failed to achieve their stated political objectives, while imposing severe economic and humanitarian costs on ordinary Cubans. Any policy that collectively punishes an entire population cannot be reconciled with the principles of justice, human dignity, and self-determination. That is to say, a consistent commitment to liberty, self-determination and human dignity cannot be applied selectively; it must be defended universally.
