Irish holidaymakers eyeing up Cuba are being urged to think again as a spiralling fuel and power crisis throws the Caribbean island’s tourism industry into turmoil and raises serious questions about visitor safety and comfort. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has upgraded its advice to “avoid non-essential travel” to Cuba, citing an increasingly serious economic and humanitarian situation that is now directly affecting transport links, hotels, healthcare and even the ability of visitors to leave the country as planned.
Irish Travel Warning Moves Up a Gear
On February 16 2026 the DFA raised Cuba to its second-highest warning level, telling Irish citizens to defer any trips that are not strictly essential. The department warns of “serious and potentially life-threatening risks” linked to prolonged nationwide power outages, acute fuel shortages and collapsing basic services. Ireland joins a growing list of European countries, along with Canada and the United Kingdom, that have toughened their stance on travel to the island in recent weeks.
The DFA notes that challenges to importing fuel are compounding long-running failures in Cuba’s energy grid, resulting in blackouts that can last more than 24 hours at a time. These outages are now routinely affecting water supply, lighting, refrigeration and communications networks, including mobile and internet services that visitors depend on for everything from navigation to keeping in touch with family at home. Hotels have begun shuffling guests between properties in an effort to concentrate limited power where it is most needed.
Ireland does not maintain an embassy in Havana, and its ability to assist its nationals in a fast-moving crisis is extremely limited. Responsibility for Cuba falls to the Irish Embassy in Mexico City, which is in touch with a small resident Irish community on the island, but consular officers are clear that in an emergency their capacity to intervene may be constrained by the same shortages and infrastructure failures now affecting Cuban citizens.
Fuel Shortage Shuts Airports and Strands Visitors
The most dramatic development for travellers is the sudden shortage of aviation fuel at Cuban airports. Cuban authorities have informed foreign governments and airlines that none of the country’s nine international airports can supply jet fuel until at least March 11, a period that overlaps with the peak winter holiday season for European and Canadian tourists. Aviation officials have publicly acknowledged that the island is effectively unable to fuel outbound commercial flights.
This has triggered a wave of cancellations and complex retrieval operations. Canadian carriers have suspended regular services and are sending in fuel-laden aircraft purely to pick up stranded passengers. Airlines from Europe are adjusting their routes to include technical stops in nearby Caribbean countries for refuelling, while others are reviewing schedules day by day. Russian authorities have gone further, organising evacuation flights to bring home thousands of their citizens before halting most tourist operations altogether.
For Irish travellers, the implications are stark. Even if a flight from Europe or Canada operates as scheduled on the way into Cuba, there is no guarantee of an easy route home. The DFA has flagged a risk that visitors could find themselves stuck on the island for an extended period if airlines reduce or suspend services at short notice due to the fuel crunch. In some cases, flights may operate only to reposition aircraft and crew, leaving no spare seats for tourists who are not booked on those specific services.
Blackouts, Empty Shelves and Strained Hospitals
The aviation crisis is the most visible sign of Cuba’s deepening turmoil, but for anyone on the ground, day-to-day life has been deteriorating for months. The country has been experiencing rolling blackouts since 2024, with large parts of the national grid going down for many hours at a time because of fuel shortages, aging power plants and a lack of spare parts. Some of the worst outages have plunged the entire island into darkness and forced the government to introduce drastic energy-saving measures.
These power cuts have a direct effect on tourist areas as well as local neighbourhoods. Without reliable electricity, hotels struggle to keep air conditioning running, maintain water pressure for showers and flush toilets, or guarantee refrigeration for food. Guests have reported sudden loss of lighting, patchy air conditioning, and reduced food options at resort buffets as supplies spoil or fail to arrive. Sporting, cultural and entertainment events have been curtailed or cancelled outright.
The strain is equally severe in the health sector. Hospitals and clinics are grappling with power interruptions and shortages of medicines, equipment and basic supplies. The DFA explicitly warns that medical care on the island may now be limited. Travellers who fall seriously ill or are injured in an accident may face long delays, reduced treatment options and difficulty accessing specialist care. For those with chronic conditions, reliance on local pharmacies is risky, as stocks of prescription drugs are inconsistent at best.
Economic Collapse Reshapes the Tourism Experience
Cuba’s economic crisis predates the current fuel emergency, but the latest shock has tipped key sectors into freefall. Tourism, once one of the island’s most important sources of hard currency, has been in steady decline since the pandemic. Visitor numbers have fallen sharply, and hotel occupancy rates have slumped as holidaymakers opt for more reliable destinations in the region. Analysts report that in recent years Cuba has lost more than half of its international visitors compared with pre-2017 peaks, with many citing blackouts, deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate services as reasons to stay away.
Major hotel chains with a large presence in Cuba have been forced to adapt. Some have temporarily closed properties to conserve scarce energy and staff resources, consolidating guests into fewer functioning resorts. Airline schedules have thinned out, with a number of European and Latin American carriers reducing or cancelling routes in response to low demand and operational uncertainty. As traffic falls, the island’s already fragile service sector is further weakened, creating a cycle in which diminished tourist income feeds back into shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.
For Irish travellers accustomed to Caribbean standards of comfort, the result is an experience that bears little resemblance to glossy brochures. Reports from recent visitors describe a landscape of urban decay, frequent power failures, unreliable air conditioning, limited hot water and resort restaurants that struggle to keep staples such as meat, dairy and fresh produce in stock. Queues for basic goods are common in cities and resort towns alike, and many shops now operate in hard currency that can be difficult for tourists to obtain at fair rates.
Geopolitics at the Heart of the Crisis
The roots of Cuba’s current predicament lie in a combination of internal economic weakness and a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment. For years the island depended heavily on subsidised oil from Venezuela, using discounted crude to power its electricity grid and transport network. That lifeline was cut abruptly after the overthrow of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in early January, leaving Havana scrambling to replace lost supplies on the open market just as its foreign currency reserves were already depleted.
The long-standing United States embargo has further tightened in recent months. Washington has moved to discourage other countries from selling oil to Cuba, including through new tariff threats. Suppliers in Mexico and elsewhere have scaled back shipments in the face of potential U.S. penalties, sometimes opting to send humanitarian aid rather than fuel. The result is a de facto oil blockade that Cuban officials say has crippled their ability to keep the lights on and planes in the air.
Irish officials have reiterated that Ireland opposes the U.S. embargo on Cuba, describing it as harmful to ordinary citizens and calling for its eventual lifting at the United Nations. At the same time, the DFA has underlined that the primary responsibility of its travel advice is to protect Irish citizens abroad. With supply lines squeezed and domestic mismanagement compounding structural weaknesses in the Cuban economy, the department has concluded that the risks to visitors now outweigh the allure of cheap package deals or nostalgic city breaks in Havana.
Practical Risks for Irish Tourists on the Ground
For those who still choose to travel, or who are already in Cuba, the biggest challenges are likely to be practical rather than political. Fuel shortages are affecting domestic transport across the island, from long-distance buses and internal flights to taxis and car hire. Travellers may find it difficult or impossible to move between cities, visit rural attractions or complete planned itineraries. In some cases, routes are being cut at short notice, while remaining services are overcrowded and subject to long delays.
Accommodation standards can no longer be taken for granted. Even in well-known resorts, visitors may encounter intermittent water supplies, limited housekeeping, reduced food service and curtailed amenities such as pools, spas or entertainment programmes. Independent guesthouses, which once offered a charming alternative to large hotels, are particularly exposed, as they often lack back-up generators or access to imported supplies. Guests should be prepared for very basic conditions and bring essential items with them.
Communications are another concern. Mobile networks and internet access, already patchy in many parts of Cuba, are vulnerable to power cuts. During prolonged outages, foreign visitors can find themselves without reliable ways to contact tour operators, airlines or family at home. This can complicate efforts to rebook flights, rearrange accommodation or obtain emergency assistance. The DFA encourages Irish citizens in Cuba to conserve battery power on their devices and to make written copies of key contact numbers in case phones fail.
What Travellers With Existing Bookings Should Do
Many Irish holidaymakers will already have flights and package trips to Cuba booked for the coming weeks. The DFA’s shift to advising against non-essential travel does not automatically cancel these arrangements, but it does change the landscape for refunds and insurance. Travellers are being urged to contact their airline, tour operator or travel agent as soon as possible to discuss options, which may include free date changes, alternative destinations or partial refunds depending on the company’s policies.
Travel insurance is a particular flashpoint. Policies often contain clauses that limit cover when a government issues a formal advisory against travel to a destination. Holidaymakers who choose to go ahead with a trip to Cuba in spite of the DFA warning could find that parts of their insurance, including cancellation and some medical cover, are void. Those who have yet to depart should review their policy wording carefully and, if necessary, speak directly with their insurer before making a final decision.
The DFA also recommends that Irish citizens currently in Cuba register their details with its consular services and closely monitor official updates. While social media and anecdotal reports from other travellers can provide useful colour, only government advisories will reflect the latest assessment of risks and the availability of emergency support. In a fast-changing situation in which airlines and local authorities are making decisions day by day, staying informed is as important as having the right documents and insurance in place.
Safer Alternatives for a Winter Sun Break
For Irish travellers simply looking for a dose of Caribbean sun, tour operators are beginning to steer customers towards other islands that are not facing the same level of upheaval. Destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Jamaica and the Mexican Caribbean continue to offer extensive resort options, more reliable infrastructure and a dense network of international flights. While no trip is entirely risk free, these locations are not currently subject to Irish government warnings and have far more robust support systems for visitors in case of disruption.
Industry insiders say demand is already shifting as word of Cuba’s crisis spreads. Some airlines and tour companies are offering flexible rebooking to encourage customers to swap Havana or Varadero for alternative beach destinations rather than cancelling outright. For budget-conscious travellers, the change in plans may even prove a financial wash, as competition among Caribbean resorts keeps package prices relatively keen.
For now, Cuba’s famous vintage cars, music-filled plazas and historic streets may have to wait. With aviation fuel scarce, blackouts widespread and essential services under pressure, the romance of a Cuban escape has given way to hard realities. Irish authorities are clear that until conditions stabilise, those tempted by cut-price offers should pause and ask whether this is the right moment to visit an island in the grip of its most severe crisis in decades.