The global travel company Travel Off Path advises against tourist trips to Cuba in 2026 due to crises in electricity, water, food, and healthcare. International arrivals have dropped 20-30% compared to last year. While the country is culturally fascinating, basic conditions for safe vacations are failing.
Cuba is facing a systemic crisis that directly impacts tourists, according to Travel Off Path's analysis. Repeated collapses of the power grid have caused nationwide blackouts, leaving cities like Havana in darkness for hours. Authorities have acknowledged prolonged daily cuts due to fuel shortages and insufficient capacity. Even large resorts rely on generators with scarce fuel, reducing services in high-end properties.
These issues extend to other essentials. Without electricity, water pumps fail, disrupting supply in neighborhoods and hotels. Cuba suffers severe shortages of basics like rice, cooking oil, and fresh produce, with empty shelves in stores and supply issues in tourist-area restaurants. In health, outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Oropouche virus—first confirmed in mid-2024—complicate matters. Hospitals lack supplies and medicines, and blackouts affect refrigeration and diagnostics.
The monetary system adds chaos: an official rate of around 120 Cuban pesos per U.S. dollar contrasts with the informal one exceeding 300 and even 400 pesos. U.S. credit and debit cards do not work, requiring cash. This means visitors pay up to three times more for official services. Violent crime, including robberies and assaults, has risen, per U.S. Embassy alerts.
A local guide summed it up: “People aren’t hustling for extra money anymore. They’re asking for food, soap, anything. When the lights go out, it gets tense fast.”
Much tourism revenue benefits GAESA, a military-run conglomerate controlling hotels and transport. Experts question if leisure tourism helps or worsens conditions for ordinary Cubans. Still, family, humanitarian, or academic trips might be warranted with precautions, like following health alerts and packing essentials.