Cuba welcomes over half a million tourists and sees 8% growth in two months

Cuba recorded an increase of 8% in tourist arrivals between January and February, reaching 528,099 international travelers, according to the National Statistics Office (ONEI). Canada remains the main source country, representing almost 50% of travelers. The Cuban Ministry of Tourism has set a target of 3.2 million tourists for the year as a whole.

In January, the Caribbean island welcomed 259,898 travelers, and in February 268,201, representing 16.5% of the governmental target of 3.2 million for the year in the first two months of 2024.

In the first two months of the year, Cuba received 261,016 Canadians, with this top source country reporting 3.2% growth, followed by Russia, which doubled its contribution to the data with 43,864 tourists. They were followed in the ranking by the United States (28,288) and Germany (13,414).

Spain, which traditionally appears among the top five source markets, fell to ninth place with 8,710 travelers visiting the island between January and February, i.e. 1,900 fewer travelers than in 2023.

Ranking above Spain are France (13,144), the UK (12,057), Mexico (8,850) and Italy (8,733).

The Cuban community abroad continues to represent a large share of visitors in this sector, representing the second-largest group with 46,080 travelers (despite suffering a drop compared to the same period of 2023).

The year 2023 closed with 151% growth in terms of international tourism, but still lagged behind pre-pandemic figures. Last year, Cuba welcomed 2.4 million international visitors, compared to 4.2 million in 2019 and 4.6 million in 2018.

To achieve the goal of 3.2 million travelers this year, the Ministry of Tourism has proposed a strategy that has among its key challenges the growth of direct air connections to the island.