Russian tourist flow to Cuba decreased by 70% in 2022

The foreign tourist flow to Cuba in 2022 increased by 453%, to 1,6 million people. But almost 70% fewer tourists came from Russia, according to the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RUT).

“Cuba at the end of December 2022 accepted more than 1,6 million foreign tourists, which is 453% more than in the previous year. The first place among foreign source markets in 2022 was taken by Canada, from where 532,5 thousand people came. In the second place is the Cuban community abroad (333,2 thousand), in the third place is the United States (100,5 thousand), on the fourth line is Spain (83 thousand) and on the fifth - is Germany (58,7 thousand),” the report says.

As per RUT, 54,4 thousand tourists came from Russia in 2022, which is almost 70% less than a year earlier, when the tourist flow amounted to 175 thousand people.

“In January and the first week of February, about 12,4 thousand Russian tourists visited Cuba. According to Christina Leon Iznaga, tourism adviser at the Embassy of the Republic in the Russian Federation, the interest for the destination on the Russian market is high, but the lack of transportation prevents an increase of the tourist flow - direct flights to Cuba are operated only twice a week. Now, the embassy is negotiating with carriers on the possibility of opening new flights,” the RUT press service notes.

Representatives of the Russian tourist industry believe that Cuba is losing competition to Thailand, which, after the start of direct transportation, has become the most popular long-distance winter beach destination for Russians.