Madrid/In no way is Cuba of the flourishing figures on the world-class tourism revenues reported by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which plans new records for this year, exceeding even the 2019 levels, before the Covid-19 Pandemia. On the contrary, the most recent data published by the National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI), corresponding to the first six months of 2025, continue to show the debacle of the sector.
The falls are “notable”, as the Cuban economist has pointed out Pedro Monrealin four “crucial indicators”, especially the “low rate of occupation”, of only 21.5% (compared to 28.4% of the same period of the previous year). “Made millions invested,” the specialist resident in the United States on one of the items that, in effect, more money they receive on the island of the public coffers (almost 20% in the first months of this yearonly surpassed, and for the first time, for energy investment).
Along with this, there is the strong descent of international travelers. Until July, they arrived Just 1,123,987 international visitorswhich represents a 23.2% drop compared to 2024. The island has received 338,922 tourists less than last year, with a generalized decline in all traditionally emitters.
Between January and June of this year they did not reach one million (981,856), 25% less than in the same period of 2024
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. In the case of Cuba, it is estimated that operating costs represent 70% of gross income, which would give a net income of 703 million dollars, in the best case.
That the income has dropped somewhat less than the arrival of tourists and overnight stays, on the other hand, they would indicate that tourists remain less on the island, but spend a little more. In 2025, each tourist has spent on average in Cuba 2,387 dollars, more than the 2,253 of the previous year.
Faced with this, the worldwide panorama is very different. Last May, the WTTC predicted that the expenditure of international visitors globally will break all records this year And it will reach 2.1 billion dollars, 164 billion dollars more than the prepandemic peak of 2019.
The total economic contribution of tourism will arrive, 11.7 billion foresee this year, 10.3% of global GDP, while jobs are expected to increase in 14 million (371 million worldwide), “more than the entire population of the United States,” said the agency.
