Al -Kindi travels to Cuba on a dual -number shrinkage in early 2025

Cuba watched a double decrease in the number of Canadians visiting the nation last winter, raising questions about the slide.

The National Statistical Agency data in Cuba reveals that the number of Canadians who travel there is less than 30 percent of the numbers last year last year Januaryand February and He walks.

However, the declining shift exceeds visitors from Canada, as Cuba also reported a detailed number of tourist visits from Russia, Spain and Italy, among other countries.

The Cuban Tourism Council manager in Toronto was outside the country this week and not available for comment. But the Minister of National Tourism in the country Recently In the “complex” challenges facing Cuba.

Many local airlines and travel operators confirm that they see less travel to the Caribbean country, which attracted more than a million Canadian visitors annually. In the years before the epidemic.

“The decrease in Canadian travel to Cuba is in line with the comments we hear from both customers and travel experts,” Omar Durakovic, head of communications at the Canada Aviation Center, told CBC News via email.

Cuba observers say that the accumulated economic and social challenges in the country – offered entirely for tourists who venture away from the resorts, as well as in media reports – may contribute to low tourism.

“The truth is that the country has changed significantly to the worse since the early 1990s, when the Canadians began visiting the island in large numbers,” said Ricardo Torres Perez, Cuban economist who pays attention to the state’s tourism statistics.

Problems presented

A prominent and repeated problem for Cuba was the unreliable network of power and the influence that occurs on the country and the life of its people.

Months ago, Cuba witnessed widely repeated failures, including consecutive occasions last fall when the island suffered successive hurricanes. There was also A major interruption in DecemberAnd another In March.

Andrei Bertierra, a Cuba analyst who was living and studied in Havana previously, was in Cuba in two of these main interruptions last year.

Remember the photos shown on dark street news, along with pictures of lights working in hotels.

“How can you present a picture of anxiety lifestyle, a fast and fun trip, when you have it?” He asked Bertira.

Durkovic of the Aviation Center says that travelers are interested in the general problems that Cuba faced, including periodic power outages and limited availability of some basic goods and services, which he says “can play a role in travel decisions in a concept.”

Since July 2023, Ottawa has warned the Canadians of “practicing a high degree of caution” if traveling to Cuba. the Full travel consultant It indicates a lack of food, medicine and fuel, as well as the ongoing challenges with the energy network.

Torres Perez said these problems are related to the continuous Cuba Economic crisis.

“The crisis has affected the quality of services and the state of infrastructure and led to the frequent power outages,” he said, noting that there are also issues about maintaining the cleanliness of cities with the “accumulated hard waste in the streets.”

Torres Perez and Perterira also say that in these struggles, Cuba sees more problems with crime than it was.

“While one can argue that the island is still relatively safe compared to other Latin American countries, the crime is high – including euphoria,” said Torres Perez.

“I love the place”

But the temptation of sunny weather and sandy beaches in a strong Cuba, and for some Canadians, it is a place that they will continue to visit.

Michelle Dubua, one of Quebec residents, visited the last time in Cuba in December, and says he would return there twice this year.

“I love the place, that’s all,” said Dubao, a retired photographer and TV editor, who worked in CBC and Radio-Canada during his career. “I love people.”

Dubua says he has made friendships after making repeated trips to Cuba, and helps to provide them with necessity by necessities, such as the lamp, when he visits.

Sharon Bidley, from Brambon, Oanton, plans to do the same, when she returns to Cuba later this year.

She and her husband will pack an additional bag full of necessities-such as medicines that do not need a prescription-to bring the Cuban friends who met him during their previous visits.

“You will find many tourists I know, they will do the same,” said Bidley.

Pedley, Dubois and other similar tourists in thinking may benefit, but these visitors also provide the country an important source of foreign currency.

Bermerira, the Cuba analyst, notes that with tourism fading, “This means a less foreign currency”, which is very important for the country in order to import the necessary goods and supplies.

A turn to China?

Last week, Reuters mentioned this Cuba looks forward to China As a possible source of new tourists.

In March, the official Cuban newspaper Granma He praised the growing number From Chinese tourists heading to Cuba in recent years – from more than 8,000 visitors in 2022, to 26,760 in 2024.

But these numbers are much lower than more than 500,000 Canadians who traveled to Cuba in the first three months of 2025 – this is at the level of 30 percent lower than last year.

Canadian travel providers refer to the continued attention from consumers, despite what Cuban statistics indicate.

“Although there is a slight softening in reservations for the first part of 2025 compared to the previous year, we also see signs of stability last month,” said Mary Christine Poliot, Director of Air Air Air Force.

Meanwhile, Air Canada CBC News told “Cuba was very steady for us.”

Torres Perez says Canada has long been the largest tourism market in Cuba. When asked how he could act to increase these numbers, he suggested making efforts to improve service quality and ensure that the hospitality sector has the supplies he needs to serve visitors.