When the country’s leading sun-and-beach destination contracts, the tourism crisis ceases to be merely a statistic and takes on a visible national dimension. Fewer Tourists, Fewer HotelsIn February 2026, shortages of fuel for aviation and transportation forced a reorganization of the tourism infrastructure. In May, tourism industry executives put hotel occupancy in Varadero and Havana at around 20%. Melia announced in June that it was ending operations at 15 Cuban hotels, including Paradisus Varadero and Melia Peninsula Varadero. But attributing the entire tourism crisis to Washington would be an oversimplification.