Cuba’s tourism sector has entered one of its most turbulent moments in decades as tightening United States sanctions and a deepening fuel crisis trigger major disruptions to international air links. In recent weeks, Cuban authorities have warned that jet fuel will no longer be available at key airports, while airlines serving the island from Russia, China, Spain and other long-haul markets scramble to cancel or reroute flights. For travelers planning a winter escape to Havana, Varadero or the cayos, the picture is suddenly uncertain, with questions about flight reliability, hotel operations and the broader stability of Cuba’s hard-hit tourism-dependent economy.
How US Sanctions Pushed Cuba’s Energy and Aviation System to the Brink
The current wave of travel chaos cannot be understood without looking at the latest escalation in United States sanctions. Washington has long maintained an embargo on Cuba, but a recent oil-focused squeeze has drastically reduced the island’s access to imported fuel. New measures and enforcement pressure aimed at suppliers to Cuba, especially Venezuela and Mexico, have sharply curtailed shipments of crude and refined products. As a result, Cuban fuel reserves have been drawn down to critical levels, forcing the government to ration energy for power generation, transport and, now, aviation.
In early February 2026, Cuban aviation authorities notified airlines that the country could no longer guarantee jet fuel at nine airports, including Havana’s main José Martí hub. A formal notice to airmen set an initial cut-off that runs at least until mid-March. That announcement did not come out of nowhere; it followed months of rolling blackouts, fuel lines and emergency conservation measures that had already squeezed daily life on the island. But the move marked the first time in the current crisis that Cuba openly acknowledged it could not supply fuel to foreign carriers, effectively shifting the burden of finding alternative refueling options to airlines.
These disruptions are rooted in more than just the latest round of sanctions. Cuba’s energy system has suffered from years of underinvestment, aging infrastructure and difficulties paying for imported fuel. Turkish floating power plants that had been providing emergency electricity have reportedly seen payments delayed, while domestic oil production covers only a fraction of national needs. Combined with sanctions that deter foreign shippers and insurers from serving Cuban ports, the new oil blockade has created a perfect storm where aviation fuel is among the first high-profile casualties.
Flight Cancellations and Reroutings: What Travelers Are Seeing Now
The most immediate impact for visitors has been a wave of flight suspensions and operational changes. Air Canada, one of the largest foreign carriers to Cuba and a key link for tourists from Canada and connecting markets, announced it was suspending all regular services to the island after being informed that airports would no longer have jet fuel available. The airline is operating a series of empty southbound flights solely to repatriate thousands of Canadian travelers who were already in Cuba when the notice came through.
Other airlines are taking a different approach by maintaining their routes but adding technical fuel stops in third countries. Spanish carrier Air Europa, Canadian leisure operator Air Transat and several European and Latin American airlines have adjusted flight plans to refuel in places such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico or other Caribbean hubs before or after touching down in Cuba. This allows them to keep selling seats but lengthens journey times and introduces new risks of delays and missed connections, particularly for long-haul itineraries from Europe or Asia.
For travelers from Russia, China and Spain, the situation is even more fragile because these markets rely heavily on charter flights and seasonal services that are highly sensitive to cost and operational disruption. Russian and Chinese carriers, already constrained by aircraft leasing issues, insurance complications and sanctions of their own, face mounting hurdles securing fuel outside Cuba on economically viable terms. Several charter programs to Cuban beach resorts that had been built up in recent years are now being scaled back, consolidated or quietly canceled, leaving tour operators scrambling to rebook or refund customers.
The net result is a patchwork of cancellations, schedule changes and last-minute aircraft substitutions. Travelers report receiving notices of new routing via intermediate stops, revised departure times or outright flight cancellations with limited advance warning. Even when flights do operate, there is little guarantee that the next round of schedule updates will not disrupt return journeys. Anyone heading to Cuba in the coming weeks and months should be prepared for significant changes to their travel plans, even after tickets are purchased and confirmed.
Why Russia, China and Spain Matter So Much to Cuba’s Tourism Strategy
The focus on flights from Russia, China and Spain is not accidental. Over the past decade, Cuban authorities have repeatedly highlighted these countries as strategic markets capable of offsetting weaker arrivals from the United States and parts of Latin America. After the boom-and-bust cycle of US travel during the brief thaw of the Obama years, Havana turned aggressively toward Russia, China and Europe in search of more politically reliable visitor flows and long-stay package tourists.
Direct flights from Russian cities to Cuba’s resort centers, especially Varadero and the northern keys, became a symbol of this pivot. Russian traveler numbers surged as tour operators promoted all-inclusive packages priced in rubles, helping to fill large new hotel complexes built with state and foreign investment. However, official data for 2024 and 2025 already showed a sharp reversal, with Russian arrivals falling by roughly a third or more as economic troubles, currency depreciation and geopolitical tensions weighed on demand.
Spain and other European markets have also been critical for Cuba, both as sources of visitors and as investors. Spanish hotel groups operate a significant share of the island’s resort inventory under management contracts, and Spanish tourists traditionally rank among the top European visitors. Yet in 2025, arrivals from Spain and other key European countries declined steeply, reflecting rising airfares, competition from other Caribbean destinations and growing concerns about service quality and shortages on the island. The new fuel-driven flight disruptions only deepen those worries.
China represents a smaller but symbolically important market. Chinese visitor numbers to Cuba have never reached the scale seen in destinations such as Thailand or France, but Beijing and Havana have discussed tourism cooperation as part of broader political and economic ties. Limited direct or one-stop charter operations catered to Chinese groups interested in multi-destination itineraries in Latin America and the Caribbean. With the present uncertainty over long-haul fuel logistics, those niche routes are among the most vulnerable, potentially sidelining years of slow-building outreach to the Chinese outbound market.
Tourism Numbers Were Already Collapsing Before the Fuel Crisis
The latest flight turmoil hits an industry that was already in freefall. Official figures released by Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information show that 2025 marked another year of steep decline in international arrivals, following a disappointing 2024. By the end of 2025, the country had welcomed roughly 1.8 million international tourists, significantly fewer than the year before and far below pre-pandemic levels. December 2025, usually a strong month, turned out to be the worst December in four years, a stark signal that the high season was failing to deliver.
Key source markets all moved in the wrong direction. Canada, historically Cuba’s leading provider of tourists, sent noticeably fewer visitors in 2025 than in 2024. Travel by the Cuban diaspora, a crucial segment that once combined visiting relatives with spending in private accommodation and restaurants, also dropped sharply. Arrivals from the United States, constrained by long-standing travel rules and political tensions, declined further despite some partial restoration of commercial flights and cruise calls.
The picture for Russia and Europe was particularly sobering. Russian visitor numbers in 2025 were down dramatically from the previous year, erasing much of the gain that had come from direct air links and targeted promotions. Spain, France, Germany and other European countries also recorded double-digit declines. Some South American markets, including Argentina and Colombia, showed modest growth, but their volumes were too small to offset the losses from Canada, Russia, Europe and the United States.
Analysts and Cuban economists have described the situation as the worst tourism performance since modern record-keeping began, with a cumulative decline of more than 20 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. They point to a toxic mix of factors: the internal economic crisis, shortages of food and basic goods, chronic power outages, deteriorating infrastructure, insufficient air connectivity and fierce competition from better-performing Caribbean destinations. Against this backdrop, the new fuel-related flight cancellations risk turning a deep slump into a prolonged structural crisis.
On the Ground in Cuba: What Travelers Can Expect Right Now
For visitors currently in Cuba or considering a trip in the coming months, the most pressing questions are practical. Will hotels remain open and fully operational? Will there be electricity and air conditioning? Are there enough supplies for restaurants and resorts? Reports from travelers and local residents depict an island where tourism facilities continue to function but under increasingly strained conditions.
To conserve scarce fuel and electricity, authorities and hotel operators have begun consolidating guests into fewer properties, temporarily closing some resorts or sections of large complexes. Spanish and other international chains have shut down selected hotels, especially those with low occupancy, and are concentrating operations in better-performing units. This can lead to last-minute changes in where guests are housed, with some travelers arriving to find that their original hotel booking has been transferred to another property on the same beach or within the same resort chain.
Energy rationing remains a constant backdrop. Rolling blackouts affect many Cuban cities and towns, including areas near major tourist zones. While hotels and airports are often given some priority in fuel allocation, they are not entirely immune from outages, particularly away from the most high-profile resorts. Air conditioning, elevator service and pool filtration systems can all be disrupted during extended power cuts, impacting comfort and safety. Water pressure and hot water availability may also fluctuate, especially in older buildings.
Food and consumer goods shortages, already a feature of Cuba’s economic crisis, can be more pronounced outside all-inclusive resorts. Travelers staying in private accommodation or venturing into local restaurants may notice limited menus, inconsistent supplies and higher prices for imported items. Public transportation is heavily affected by diesel and gasoline shortages, so buses, shared taxis and intercity services are less frequent and more crowded. For tourists, this means relying more on pre-arranged transfers, private taxis or organized excursions that can secure their own fuel sources.
What This Means for Your Travel Plans in 2026
If you already have a trip booked to Cuba in the coming weeks, the single most important step is to stay in constant contact with your airline or tour operator. Given the fluidity of the situation, schedules may be changed repeatedly as carriers seek alternative refueling arrangements and respond to new operational guidance from Cuban authorities. Even if your airline has not yet canceled services, it may be routing flights through a third-country hub for fuel, extending travel times and potentially affecting connections.
Travelers who booked through tour operators, particularly for package holidays from Russia, Europe or Canada, should monitor company statements and be prepared for offers of rebooking to other destinations, date changes or partial refunds. Operators that depend on charter flights may choose to suspend Cuba programs temporarily rather than absorb the higher costs and logistical headaches of fuel stops. Independent travelers who arranged flights and accommodation separately may find it harder to obtain compensation but should still document disruptions and review fare rules and travel insurance conditions.
Anyone planning a new trip to Cuba for spring or summer 2026 should approach bookings with caution. While it is possible that fuel supplies and aviation arrangements will stabilize later in the year, there is no guarantee. Consider flexible tickets, accommodation with generous cancellation policies and comprehensive travel insurance that explicitly covers airline schedule changes and destination-related disruptions. It is also wise to check whether your government has updated its travel advice in response to the energy crisis and air service uncertainty, particularly regarding consular support and evacuation capacity in case of prolonged disruption.
Beyond logistics, travelers should carefully weigh their comfort level with potential shortages and power cuts. Cuba remains a culturally rich and fascinating destination, but the current conditions require patience, adaptability and realistic expectations. If your priority is a seamless, worry-free resort experience with minimal disruption, other Caribbean destinations may offer greater reliability at the moment. If, however, you are prepared for an environment shaped by economic and political crisis, a visit can still be rewarding, especially if you support local businesses and private hosts who depend heavily on the remaining tourist flows.
The Broader Economic and Social Consequences for Cuba
The collapse in tourism has implications that go far beyond airport departure boards. Tourism is one of Cuba’s top sources of foreign currency, alongside medical services exports, nickel and remittances. Fewer international visitors mean fewer dollars and euros flowing into state coffers, private businesses and households. This, in turn, reduces the government’s ability to import food, medicine and fuel, deepening the very shortages that undermine tourism in the first place.
Economists warn of a vicious circle: declining arrivals force hotels to cut staff, tour operators to scale back operations and thousands of small entrepreneurs to close or downsize. Taxi drivers, artisans, guides, restaurant owners and rental hosts in popular destinations like Havana, Trinidad and Viñales feel the pain acutely. Many of these workers invested in upgrading their homes, vehicles and services during earlier tourism booms and are now facing falling income, rising costs and dwindling savings.
The strain is exacerbated by ongoing blackouts and pressure on public services. Hospitals, clinics and schools all compete with the tourism sector for scarce fuel and electricity. When power cuts interrupt medical procedures or refrigeration of medicines, public frustration grows. Comparisons with the hardship of the 1990s Special Period, after the collapse of Soviet support, are increasingly common in public discussions. The tourism downturn thus contributes to a wider sense of uncertainty about Cuba’s economic future and social stability.
For the government, the crisis raises hard questions about the sustainability of a development model that has devoted massive resources to building hotel capacity, often in partnership with foreign chains, while other sectors lag. Critics argue that Cuba overbuilt luxury rooms for a market that is no longer there, leaving white-elephant resorts standing half empty while basic infrastructure decays. The current sanctions-driven fuel shock simply exposes vulnerabilities that have been accumulating for years.
Looking Ahead: Scenarios for Cuba’s Tourism and What Travelers Should Watch
The trajectory of Cuba’s tourism industry over the next one to two years will depend on three main variables: the evolution of United States sanctions and oil policy, Cuba’s success in diversifying fuel supplies and energy sources, and the island’s ability to restore confidence among airlines, tour operators and travelers. None of these factors can be predicted with certainty, but several scenarios are emerging.
In one scenario, diplomatic maneuvering and third-country mediation ease some of the immediate pressure on fuel supplies, allowing airlines to gradually resume more normal operations with a mix of local refueling and technical stops abroad. Under this outcome, tourist arrivals might stabilize at a lower base and then slowly recover, especially from nearby markets such as Canada, Mexico and parts of Latin America that can operate shorter flights with more flexible logistics.
In a more pessimistic scenario, sanctions remain tight or even intensify, while Cuba struggles to secure alternative fuel sources at affordable prices. Flight cancellations could become a semi-permanent feature of the market, particularly for long-haul services from Russia, China and Europe that are most sensitive to costs and schedule reliability. Tourism numbers would remain depressed, private sector operators would face prolonged hardship and the state could be forced into deeper austerity, further degrading the visitor experience.
For travelers, the key indicators to watch will be airline announcements about schedule stability, official Cuban statements on fuel availability at major airports and the monthly tourism statistics that show whether arrivals are stabilizing or continuing to fall. It will also be important to monitor reports from on-the-ground visitors about power reliability, hotel operations and service quality, which often provide an early warning of deteriorating conditions before they show up in official data.
Ultimately, whether you decide to travel to Cuba in this period of turmoil is a personal judgment that balances risk tolerance, ethical considerations and your reasons for visiting. What is clear is that the current combination of US sanctions, fuel shortages and collapsing tourism has created one of the most challenging environments for travel to Cuba in recent memory. Anyone considering a trip in 2026 should plan carefully, remain flexible and stay informed up to the moment of departure.