Cuban tourism under pressure from fuel shortages: taxi drivers, guides and small landlords among the biggest losers
Cuba's tourism industry, for years one of the key sources of foreign currency for the island economy, entered a new phase of deep crisis after the tightening of U.S. pressure on deliveries of oil and petroleum products to this Caribbean state. The consequences are no longer visible only in macroeconomic indicators, but also on the streets of Havana, in the hotel zones of Varadero and in the daily lives of thousands of people who live from the arrival of foreign guests. Taxi drivers wait for fuel for days or weeks, tourist guides are left without groups, some hotels operate at reduced capacity, and flight and travel cancellations have further hit an already weakened sector.
The new wave of problems has built on the multi-year difficulties of the Cuban economy, including a weak recovery after the pandemic, chronic shortages, interruptions in electricity supply and a continuous outflow of labour. Tourism was supposed to be one of the engines of recovery, but instead it has become the sector that best shows how vulnerable the state is when there is not enough energy. When there is no fuel, it is not only aircraft and buses transporting guests that suffer, but the entire chain of services: airport transfers, excursions, taxi transport, delivery of goods to hotels, restaurant operations and the supply of tourist facilities.
U.S. measures intensified pressure on an already exhausted system
The United States had previously maintained a strict sanctions regime against Cuba, but at the beginning of 2026 the pressure was further intensified by decisions aimed at countries and entities supplying the island with oil. At the end of January, the White House announced an executive order that opened the door to additional trade measures against states that directly or indirectly deliver oil to Cuba. In Washington, this policy is presented as an instrument of national security and foreign-policy pressure on the authorities in Havana, while Havana claims it is a move that deepens the humanitarian and economic crisis.
In practice, the result was very quick: the supply of energy products became even more difficult, and the Cuban authorities were forced to introduce emergency austerity measures. Warnings about shortages of aircraft fuel, traffic restrictions, reductions of activities in certain institutions and the closure of part of the tourist capacity showed that the problem is no longer only a political issue between the two states, but a direct blow to the daily life of the population. In such circumstances, the tourism sector, which depends on mobility and constant supply, is among the first to feel the consequences.
The drop in the number of guests is further deepening the problem
Cuba's official statistics office ONEI announced that during 2025 the country recorded 1,810,663 international visitors, which is a noticeable drop compared with 2024. The beginning of 2026 did not bring a turnaround either: according to preliminary data, 184,833 international visitors were recorded in January, fewer than in the same month a year earlier. These figures confirm that Cuba has failed to return even close to the levels from the pre-pandemic period, when annual arrivals were many times higher and tourism brought in billions of dollars in revenue.
The numbers alone do not explain the whole picture, but they show the direction. For an island that for years relied on foreign guests as one of the main sources of fresh money, every new drop in arrivals means less work for a wide circle of people who formally or informally participate in the tourism chain. This includes private taxi drivers, room and apartment owners, tourist guides, musicians, restaurateurs, craftspeople, transport operators and small traders. When hotels remain half-empty, the consequences spill far beyond hotel reception desks.
Without fuel there are no tourists, no excursions and no reliable travel plan
One of the hardest blows to Cuban tourism came at the beginning of February 2026, when a shortage of aviation fuel caused serious disruptions in air traffic. Air Canada announced on 09 February 2026 that it was temporarily suspending flights to Cuba because of the inability to ensure a regular fuel supply on the island, while arranging empty flights to return passengers. Cuban aeronautical notices and media reports confirmed that international airlines had been warned of a serious shortage of aircraft fuel, which for a destination dependent on air traffic represented an almost perfect blow.
Such a situation has a double effect. On the one hand, travellers postpone or cancel trips because of uncertainty, warnings and fear of additional complications. On the other hand, tour operators and airlines must change routes, plans and costs, so Cuba becomes less competitive compared with other Caribbean destinations that offer greater predictability. Stability is crucial for tourism: a guest who does not know whether a flight will be delayed, whether the hotel will have electricity or whether they will be able to travel normally around the country will more easily choose another destination.
Workers at the bottom of the chain bear the greatest burden
In such a crisis, those who have no financial reserve and depend on daily earnings fare the worst. For private taxi drivers, fuel is the foundation of business, and when it is unavailable, the car ceases to be a working tool and becomes a cost. Long queues, digital fuel-ordering systems, high prices and the black market create a situation in which many drivers do not know whether they will be able at all to carry out an airport transfer, a hotel transfer or an excursion they had previously arranged. Associated Press reported that some drivers in Cuba wait for fuel for months through the state ordering system, while the amount they can buy is limited and the price is out of reach for many.
Tourist guides face a similar problem. Their work depends not only on the arrival of guests, but also on the functioning of the entire field. If there is not enough transport, if museums and restaurants operate on shortened hours, if excursions are cancelled and if tourists remain confined to hotels because of power outages or flight changes, guides are left without engagements. Those who work privately are especially exposed, because they do not have the security of a permanent salary or strong institutional protection. In such circumstances, many are thinking about leaving the country, not because the job is bad during the tourist season, but because even minimal predictability has disappeared.
Hotels and restaurants are operating, but under increasingly difficult conditions
Fuel and electricity shortages do not necessarily mean that all facilities are closed, but they do mean that everything operates more expensively, more slowly and more uncertainly. Some hotels had to reduce capacity or relocate guests, while restaurants and private caterers face problems in procurement, cooling systems and transport. When the supply chain weakens, service quality suffers even where the staff are giving their maximum. Guests may still be able to find sunshine, sea and the historic core of Havana, but it is harder for them to get an experience without constant improvisation.
This particularly affects the destination's image. Tourism does not rest only on natural beauty and cultural appeal, but also on the impression of reliability. If foreign media regularly report on hotel closures, fuel rationing, power cuts and cancelled flights, the damage is not only immediate. Such news also affects future bookings, because the travel market reacts very quickly to the perception of risk. Once lost, trust is difficult to restore, especially in competition with destinations that have more stable infrastructure.
The broader economic crisis is now visible in tourism more clearly than ever
The Cuban authorities have long seen tourism as one of the pillars of economic survival, but now it is becoming clear how vulnerable that model is when the country lacks sufficient energy and foreign currency. Tourism income is important not only because of hotels and state companies, but also because through it money flows into the system and then sustains other sectors. When that inflow weakens, pressure increases on food, transport, healthcare and public services.
The problem is that the crisis feeds itself. Fewer tourists mean less revenue. Less revenue means fewer possibilities for imports and for maintaining the system. Less fuel and weaker infrastructure then further deter tourists. Thus a circle closes from which it is difficult to escape without serious external relief or internal reforms. That is why the Cuban tourism crisis can no longer be viewed as an isolated problem of one industry, but as a mirror of the broader structural weakness of the economy.
Humanitarian consequences are no longer separate from the tourism story
Warnings from international organisations show that Cuba's energy crisis does not end with the question of holidays, transport or hotel business. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned in February 2026 that the deepening fuel shortage threatens access to basic services, including healthcare, food and water systems. UN experts separately condemned the U.S. executive order related to Cuba's oil supply, assessing that it further worsens the condition of the population.
For tourism, this is important for at least two reasons. The first is practical: a destination where basic services function with difficulty can hardly maintain a quality and reliable tourism offer. The second is social: when the state faces pressure on hospitals, public transport, water and food supply, it is difficult to defend a strategy according to which tourism remains a priority without a broader debate on the allocation of resources. In Cuba, that tension has been visible for years, and now it has become even more pronounced.
Political conflict and economic reality lead to the same outcome
Washington claims that increased pressure should encourage political change in Cuba. Havana responds that it is economic aggression that hits ordinary citizens the hardest. Regardless of the political interpretation, the result on the ground is currently clear: workers in tourism are left without jobs or without stable income, the private sector is losing room for survival, and the broader economy is sinking deeper into uncertainty. Tourism, which was supposed to bring relief and foreign currency, is turning into yet another survival sector.
What is happening to taxi drivers, guides and small landlords also shows a deeper change: the crisis is no longer seasonal or a temporary disturbance, but a condition that changes life plans. When a worker who until recently lived from guests can now no longer get fuel, carry out a transfer or predict whether there will be flights next week, then tourism ceases to be a development story and becomes a story of departure. For many Cubans, this is no longer a question of whether the season will be weak, but whether they can remain at all and survive from the work they have built for years.
An uncertain season and an even more uncertain future
At the beginning of April 2026, there are no signs of a quick and stable solution that would return Cuban tourism to a normal rhythm. Individual oil deliveries may temporarily ease shortages, but for now there are no indicators that the structural problem has been solved. Even if some flights are restored and some hotels continue operating, questions remain open about supply, prices, travellers' trust and the state's ability to maintain basic infrastructure.
That is precisely why today's picture of Cuba goes beyond the classic story of a declining tourist season. It speaks of a country in which geopolitical conflict, energy dependence and prolonged economic exhaustion are merging into the same reality. On its front lines are the people who until yesterday welcomed tourists at the airport, guided them through old city centres, drove them to beaches and lived from tips, recommendations and new bookings. Today, according to available information, more and more of them are calculating not how much they will earn from the next guest, but how much longer they can endure in a system that is running out of fuel, out of security and out of a clear way out.
Sources:- The White House – executive order and official explanation of the U.S. tightening of measures toward Cuba's oil supply (link)- The White House – summary of the measure on additional tariffs for countries that directly or indirectly supply Cuba with oil (link)- U.S. Department of State – overview of the U.S. sanctions regime toward Cuba (link)- Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información de Cuba (ONEI) – preliminary data on international visitors in January 2026 (link)- Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información de Cuba (ONEI) – official annual review of tourism indicators for 2025 (link)- Associated Press – suspension of Air Canada flights to Cuba due to an aviation fuel shortage (link)- Air Canada – official announcement on the temporary suspension of flights and the return of passengers from Cuba (link)- Associated Press – report on long waits by drivers for fuel and the effects of shortages on everyday work (link)- OHCHR – warning about the deepening socioeconomic crisis in Cuba and the risk to basic services (link)- OHCHR – statement by UN experts condemning the U.S. executive order imposing a fuel blockade on Cuba (link)
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