Madrid/A total of 400 travel agents from Spain and Portugal –Mitad and Half – will enjoy from this Friday and for a week of a journey through Cayo Santa María (Villa Clara) and Trinidad (Sancti Spíritus) as a reward for having encouraged sales to Cuba since the beginning of the year. The contest, with the name of “Sell Cuba, has a prize”, was devised by Travelplan, wholesaler of the Spanish group Barceló, before the unstoppable descent of the island as a tourist destination.
The Tour, however, is work, because it provides for its participation in the VII Tourist Bag destinations Gaviota, a professional event organized by the state tourist group that belongs to the Gaesa military conglomerate.
“This trip reflects our passion and commitment to travel agencies, supporting their work to carry unique and fascinating destinations to each traveler,” was the enthusiastic corporate message from Spain of Pure Seville, head of Travelplan brand. “We want them to experience in the first person the magic and diversity of Cuba, so that they transmit to their clients that authentic and enriching experience, that only this Caribbean paradise offers.”
Being one of the nine Spanish chains that have investments in Cuba, it is understood that Barceló is interested in overcoming the comatose situation of tourism. As the specialized media remembers Hostelturin line with what was published by the Economic newspaper Five days last weekthe hoteliers of Spain persist in the Cuban commitment despite being the country that goes against all the good world forecasts of the sector, especially its direct competitors, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Last year, the number of foreign visitors descended to 2,203,117, and in the first semester of 2025 only 981,856 were received
Last month, the same medium published graphics that made the Situation of Spanish companies Regarding the official figures reported by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). Hosteltur Remember that “in 2018 and 2019, the island received 4.6 and 4.2 million international tourists, respectively, driven by a more favorable context in relations with the US and a greater opening to trips.” Although the prepaid indices are already overcome in the rest of the countries, it does not happen in Cuba or far.
After the historical minimums for the COVID-19, the numbers in Cuba were tracing, very slowly, until reaching 2,436,980 tourists from 2023. Since then, it has gone downhill. Last year, the number of foreign visitors descended to 2,203,117, and in the first semester of 2025, 981,856 were received, which proportionally does not give even two million a year.
The consequence for the interests of Spanish chains has been catastrophic. These have 71 hotels on the island, especially Meliá (34) and Iberostar (18). Very behind they continue ROC (with five establishments), Valentin Hotels (with four), Sirenis (with three), Barceló, Blau and Minor (each with two), and Axel Hotels with one. In total and among all, they have 27,679 rooms.
The island, in fact, is the third country in number of rooms offered by hoteliers in Spain, only behind Mexico (about 50,000 rooms in 125 hotels) and the Dominican Republic (36,000 rooms in 75 establishments). With the substantial difference that in these two countries, the sector continues to mark records.
Between January and July of this year, Dominicana received almost 7,200,000 tourists3.2% more than in the same period of the previous year, and Mexico registered, from January to June, nothing less than 47.4 million international visitors13.8% more than in the same months of 2024.
Another element highlighted by ‘Hosteltur’, always based on official figures, is the very low occupancy rate, 21.5%
Faced with those flourishing figures, the situation of Cuba is to cry. Until July, they arrived Just 1,123,987 international visitorswhich represented a 23.2% drop compared to 2024. The island has received 338,922 tourists less than last year, with a generalized setback in all traditionally issuing countries.
According to the ONEI semiannual report, between January and June of this year they did not reach one million (981,856), 25% less than in the same period of 2024 (1,309,655). Consequently, income collapsed 20.6% (almost 71,000 million pesos just over 56,000 million). Applying the rate of 24 pesos per dollar, it is a drop of 2,950,741,875 to 2,343,539,083 dollars.
The ONEI does not provide net income after deducting operating costs – very high in the tourism sector – but in the case of Cuba it is estimated that they represent 70% of gross income, which would give a net income of 703 million dollars, in the best case.
In this regard, Mexico presents another opprobent comparison: the expense of the visitors of the North American country in the first half of this year was 18,681 million dollars, 6.3% more than in 2024.
Another element highlighted by Hostelturalways based on official figures, it is the low rate of occupation, 21.5%, with 5.73 million overnight stays in the first semester of 2025, seven points less than the same period of the previous year.
With these same data, Five days expressed in A hard article On September 4 that a “perfect storm has exploded in the hands of Meliá and Iberostar“, Which, despite all forecasts against,” continue to redouble their commitment to follow and grow in Cuba. ”
About Meliá, remember that he recorded in 2024 losses before taxes of four million euros, “the second most bulky in all the geographies in which it operates, only behind the United Kingdom, with a negative balance of 11.12 million euros.”
The Iberostar Selection Havana, in the controversial Tower K, “has required an investment of 200 million euros by the Cuban government”
The Meliá indicators count in Cuba, “those who have shown worse performance in all countries where it operates,” is devastating: an occupation of 39.4% compared to a global average of 60%; A rate of 80.4 euros compared to a global average of 139.7 euros and income per available room, “the most important profitability indicator”, of 31.7 euros, almost a third compared to 83.8 euros on average.
The contrast for this hotel is in its activity in Spain, where it earned 185.3 million euros, 70% of the benefit before taxes.
Of the other Mallorcan firm, Five days It highlights, as an example of the company’s efforts to continue investing on the island, its last hotel opened, the Iberostar Selection Havana, in the controversial K Torre K, that “has required an investment of 200 million euros by the Cuban government.” And it defines it as “a commitment that, for now, has not been endorsed with economic results.”
This was recognized to the newspaper belonging to the same media group as The country A Spanish businessman based on the island for more than two decades: “There are no tourists in Cuba and less to pay the prices of that hotel.”
However, apostille Five days With rawness, “both Miguel Fluxá and Gabriel Escarrer, maximum managers of Iberostar and Meliá, take advantage of any public appearance to underline their commitment to the Cuban government and the local economy in the face of future growth possibilities, once the US embargo softens and the supply of energy and food is normalized.”
