Cuba Struggles in Its Tourism Recovery Unlike Its Neighbors
Photo Credit: A street in Havana Flickr / Nathan Laurell
Skift Take
Omicron flareups are one thing, but the travel bans for U.S. citizens put in place under President Trump and remaining thereunder Joe Biden, for the most part, are not doing Cuba's tourism industry any favors.
Cuba, unlike some of its Caribbean peers, saw a decrease in international tourists in 2021 as the country welcomed a little more than 570,000 overseas visitors last year, almost 40 percent of 2020's figure.
What was the biggest reason for the decline? A surge in Covid cases in April 2021 led to the government bringing back a mandatory quarantine period for visitors and a restriction on international flights that lasted until November. But even before the pandemic, Cuba had already seen a drop in international tourists as the country welcomed 4.7 million overseas in 2018 and 4.2 million the next year.
Cuba's recovery is far behind those made by nearby countries. Mexico welcomed 31 million international visitors in 2021, a 28 percent over 2020, while 2021 tourist
