Spain's Foreign Ministry issued a health alert warning of a serious epidemic in Cuba with simultaneous outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases. It recommends against traveling to the island if not vaccinated against chikungunya, dengue, and hepatitis A. The warning comes amid peak tourist season and after a catastrophic year for the sector.
On Friday, Spain's Foreign Ministry updated its health alert for Cuba, highlighting the significant deterioration due to garbage accumulation and prolonged power outages impacting hygiene. According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), between January and September 2025, only 36,788 Spanish tourists visited Cuba, a 27.1% drop from the same period in 2024. Canada, the main source market, recorded 478,388 Canadian visitors in the first seven months of 2025, compared to 622,204 in 2024.
This health crisis stems from years of neglect in basic services, with investment policies prioritizing tourism over agriculture, energy, health, and infrastructure. Up to 2024, agriculture received just 3% of total investments, public health 1.9%, while hotels and restaurants absorbed 10.8% and business, real estate, and rental services 26.6%. In 2025, from January to October, tourism funding fell to 5.2%, essential services like electricity, gas, and water rose to 36.7% from 12.6%, and transportation to 10.7% from 8.5%. Yet agriculture stayed at 2.1%, education and science at 0.4% each, and public health at 1.3%.
The Spanish alert warns that Cuban medical facilities lack supplies and fall short of European standards, requiring immediate payment for treatments and possible exit restrictions for unpaid bills. It urges using only bottled water due to hepatitis A risk. Countries like the United States, Russia, and Mexico also advise caution, worsening the tourism decline that will not reach half of the four million visitors in 2016.
