Cuba is pinning its hopes on attracting more visitors from Communist ally China as part of a last-ditch bid to revive a sputtering tourism industry devastated by renewed US sanctions under the Trump administration and a crisis-wracked economy.
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Visitors from abroad, a critical source of foreign currency on the island, plunged by nearly a third in the first quarter of 2025, according to recent data from Cuba’s statistics agency, ONEI, an ominous sign that has left top officials on the archipelago scrambling for alternatives.
Cuba had forecast 2.6 million visitors in 2025, an 18 per cent increase over the previous year, but seems unlikely to hit that target as the peak northern winter fades into a sultry Caribbean summer.
“It’s no secret that, recently, our country, and especially the tourism sector, is facing a complex scenario,” said Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia in a speech on Wednesday inaugurating the island’s annual tourism fair – this year dedicated to China.
Garcia praised China in his talk, saying their close ties of cooperation and friendship had “stood the test of time”.
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The Asian giant could prove fertile ground for Cuba, despite the vast physical distance between the two countries.
