Cuba Feels Canadian Absence: Visitor Numbers Plunge 76% Amid Call To Restore Flights

With Canadian airlines no longer flying to Cuba, visitor numbers from what has traditionally been the island destination’s largest international tourism market have collapsed, dealing a blow to a country already struggling with economic challenges, fuel shortages and declining tourism revenues.

Now, a Canadian organization is calling on Ottawa to help restore at least one direct flight per week, arguing that the loss of air connectivity is hurting not only Cuba’s tourism industry, but also Cuban-Canadian families trying to visit loved ones.

As reported by CiberCuba, the Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC) made the appeal Tuesday (Oct. 27) during a press conference in Ottawa, urging Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to facilitate weekly direct service on humanitarian grounds.

Canadian Arrivals Fall

According to Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), Cuba welcomed just 128,400 Canadian visitors between January and August 2026, compared with 526,239 during the same period in 2025.

That’s a staggering 75.6 per cent decline, representing nearly 398,000 fewer Canadian visitors in just eight months.

March was particularly devastating. Only 511 Canadians arrived in Cuba that month, compared with 98,663 in March 2025 — a collapse of 99.48 per cent.

The disruption began in February 2026, when Air Canada suspended its Cuba operations amid shortages of Jet A-1 aviation fuel at nine international airports across the island.

Air Transat and WestJet followed, initially leaving open the possibility of resuming flights once conditions improved.

By June, however, all three airlines had abandoned their tentative restart dates and suspended service indefinitely.

Travellers from Canada can still get to Cuba, but must now use connecting itineraries through countries such as Mexico, Panama or the Bahamas.

And despite the lack of direct flights, some tour operators have found ways to keep Cuba on the vacation map.

Enjoy Travel Group and Hola Sun Holidays, for example, have promoted packages to the island using connecting flights through Mexico City, Cancun and Panama.

Cuba is also taking steps to breathe new life into its struggling tourism industry.

At the start of summer, the government unveiled what it called a “historic package” of 176 free-market reforms aimed at reviving the tourism sector and restoring investor confidence.

According to the Cuba Tourist Board, the sweeping changes seek to loosen government control, create more opportunities for private businesses and encourage foreign investment after years of falling tourist arrivals, financial difficulties and the departure of several international tourism operators.

Cuba says the new framework moves beyond traditional models by introducing flexible business structures, including leasing, usufruct rights, real estate acquisition options for foreign investors and diaspora communities in key destinations like the northern keys, Old Havana, and Trinidad. 

For the consumer, Cuba says this will translate into modernized accommodations, upgraded amenities, and revitalized heritage zones that blend historic charm with contemporary comfort.

“We are very optimistic”, said Gihana Galindo, director of the Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto in September. “These historic reforms mark a defining milestone that empowers our industry to become more sustainable and resilient.

Ottawa Urged To Take Action

The CNC’s request for a humanitarian air link forms part of a broader campaign by the coalition, which represents more than 26 organizations.

In addition to restoring limited air service, the group is urging the federal government to apply Canada’s Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act to protect Canadian businesses operating in Cuba from certain effects of U.S. sanctions.

It is also calling for Ottawa to lift its recommendation against non-essential travel to the island, CiberCuba reports.

Canada opposes U.S. embargo

The demands come amid renewed international debate over the longstanding U.S. embargo against Cuba.

Tuesday’s press conference took place as the United Nations General Assembly began debating a resolution calling for an end to the longstanding U.S. embargo on Cuba.

A day later, on Wednesday (Oct. 28), Canada once again voted against the embargo, as Havana accused Washington of pressuring countries to change their positions.

According to The Canadian Press, the UN General Assembly condemned the economic restrictions for the 34th consecutive year, with 130 countries voting in favour of the resolution, 17 opposed and 25 abstaining.

However, support for the resolution declined significantly, with 30 fewer countries voting to condemn the embargo compared with the previous year.

Several nations that had traditionally supported Cuba, including Germany and Italy, abstained for the first time, CP reports.

The diplomatic dispute comes as Cuba grapples with a worsening humanitarian and economic crisis, compounded by U.S. restrictions on fuel shipments to the island.

While Havana blames American sanctions for much of the country’s hardship, Washington maintains that Cuba’s Communist government bears responsibility for its economic troubles.

The Cuban embassy in Ottawa has characterized U.S. policy as a form of collective punishment aimed at forcing political change and urged Canada to maintain its opposition to the embargo.

The Bloc Québécois also voiced support for that position this week.