Out of ten rooms available in Cuban hotels, more than eight were vacant in 2022, without the construction fever having subsided. Amazing. Data on the main tourism indicators for the past year, released Monday (March 13) by the National Statistics Office, highlights what hoteliers have taken as a warning: the occupancy rate of the Cuban hotel industry is at its lowest with a meager 15.6%.
The competition is doing much better
Comparing this ratio with the Dominican Republic, its direct competitor in the region, the occupancy rate is 65.8%, rising to over 70% in areas such as Punta Cana. Islands at other latitudes, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands in Spain, reached 74% and 68% respectively last year.
All indicators red
Spending per tourist is also falling, which is not surprising given the shortage of supply on the struggling state network, which is penalizing the private sector. Of course, this situation is reflected in the balance sheets, which in turn means that the communist regime is losing currency.
Another very negative indicator, although consistent with the number of travelers in the country – only 1.6 million against 4.2 million in 2019 – is the number of overnight stays, which fell from 27,237,590 to 8,441,755, down by more than two-thirds.
Who can still choose Cuba for the holidays?
Canadians are still the most important market, followed by Cubans living abroad, Americans and travelers from several European countries, which have not been renewed over the years.
In 2022, only 532,487 Canadians traveled to Cuba, compared to 1,120,077 three years ago. Overall, the majority of tourists came from North America, accounting for 1,107,257 of the 1.6 million foreign visitors. Far behind are Europeans with 453,650 and Asians with 43,392.
In terms of demographic profiles, the largest target group is 25-45 year olds (520,085), followed closely by the next age group, 45-59 year olds (507,994). Older people are also more likely to choose Cuba, with 336,519 tourists over the age of 60.
