Tourism Drops in Cuba Amid Oil Blockade

Travel to Cuba has fallen by almost 50% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year, data shared by Cuba’s National Office of Statistics shows.

The period coincides with Trump’s oil blockade, which caused many travelers to steer clear of the island as blackouts increased and several airlines suspended their Cuba routes. 

Though the oil blockade has exacerbated the drop in travelers, U.S. sanctions have been destroying Cuba’s tourism since Trump’s first administration. In 2018, Cuba welcomed almost 4.8 million travelers. Last year, it was only 1.8 million.