CUBA TOURISM 2026 / NEW DATA
Cuba received 450,353 international visitors in eight months; Canada is down 75.6%
New official ONEI statistics show a sharp contraction in international arrivals in 2026, especially from Canada.
Updated September 26, 2026. Lire cet article en français.
Key numbers
- 450,353 international visitors arrived in Cuba from January through August 2026.
- That is 813,979 fewer than in the same period of 2025, a decline of 64.4%.
- Canada remains the largest source market in the year-to-date total with 128,400 visitors, but that is down 75.6% year over year.
- In August alone, ONEI counted only 755 Canadian visitors, compared with 47,857 in August 2025.
- Cubans living abroad accounted for 14,956 visitors in August, nearly half of the month’s 30,490 international visitors.
Official figures for January through August 2026
Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) reports 888,756 travellers from January through August 2026. Of those, 450,353 were international visitors.
The distinction matters. ONEI uses traveller for a person moving between countries, while an international visitor stays in a country other than their usual residence for no more than one year and does not undertake paid employment there.
| Indicator | Jan-Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| International visitors | 450,353 | -64.4% year over year |
| Total travellers | 888,756 | -50.5% year over year |
| Canada | 128,400 | -75.6% year over year |
| Cubans living abroad | 103,481 | -35.6% year over year |
| United States | 41,971 | 42,049 fewer visitors |
Only 755 Canadians arrived in August
The Canadian market shows the sharpest change for Passion Varadero readers. Cuba received 526,239 Canadian visitors from January through August 2025. In the same period of 2026, the total fell to 128,400.
August was especially striking: 755 Canadians arrived, compared with 47,857 in August 2025. That is a decline of about 98.4% for the month.
The decline coincides with a major reduction in air connectivity between Canada and Cuba. Air Canada suspended Cuba service on February 9 because of aviation-fuel supply problems and said on June 5 that its return would be postponed until further notice. Transat also extended its Cuba suspension during 2026.
Cuba’s monthly international arrivals in 2026
| Month | International visitors |
|---|---|
| January | 184,833 |
| February | 77,663 |
| March | 35,561 |
| April | 30,551 |
| May | 30,883 |
| June | 28,100 |
| July | 32,272 |
| August | 30,490 |
Since March, Cuba has not exceeded 36,000 international visitors in any single month, compared with 184,833 arrivals in January.
In August, the Cuban diaspora far outnumbered Canadian visitors
ONEI counted 14,956 Cubans living abroad in August, about 49% of all international visitors that month. Canada still ranks first in the year-to-date total, but that position largely reflects arrivals earlier in 2026.
What could this mean for Varadero?
National statistics do not tell us whether a specific hotel is empty or whether a particular service will be closed. Conditions in Varadero can vary by resort, week, flight availability and source market.
Lower occupancy can, however, lead operators to consolidate services, rotate restaurant openings, combine room blocks, reduce excursion frequency or adjust transfers. Travellers should verify the current situation at their hotel and with their airline or tour operator before departure.
Useful current guides
What these numbers do not say
A national tourism statistic cannot predict the experience at one specific resort. Cuba continues to receive visitors, and operating conditions may differ substantially between destinations and hotels.
The clearest conclusion is narrower: official data show that Cuba’s international visitor market in 2026 is much smaller than a year earlier, and the contraction in the Canadian market is particularly large.
Sources
- ONEI — International travellers and visitors, August 2026
- Air Canada — Cuba service suspension, February 9, 2026
- Transat — 2026 program revision and extended Cuba suspension
Method: percentages are calculated from figures published by ONEI. “Travellers” and “international visitors” are different statistical categories and should not be treated as interchangeable.
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