Canadians choosing pricier destinations over Cuba amid crisis: travel agents

The United States’oil blockade versus Cuba set off extreme fuel scarcities in the nation and triggered Canadian airline companies to forever suspend flights to the island location previously this year.

Travel representatives state Canadians aiming to leave the winter this year will need to pay more than what they’re utilized to for budget-friendly extensive plans in Cuba.

Ashley Harold, a travel representative at Flight Centre Canada, stated Mexico, Dominican Republic and a number of other Caribbean nations and areas such as Aruba, Barbados and Jamaica appear to be getting the majority of the diversions.

“There isn’t one brand-new Cuba, if you will. Canadians, they’re truly spreading their winter season travel throughout a much broader mix of locations and journey types,” she stated in a current interview.

“We’re likewise seeing some tourists think about Caribbean cruises or trips to still-warm locations like Costa Rica or Peru.”

Domestic tourist is likewise acquiring traction as some Canadians are selecting to go to “great” winter season locations, from Alberta to the West Coast, she stated.

“Folks, now more than ever, are wishing to explore their own yard and keep their dollar within Canada,” she stated.

Despite the fact that advance reservations have actually ended up being a brand-new typical after COVID-19, the absence of Cuban getaways has actually led Canadians to book in other locations much previously for finest rates and option, Harold stated.

Cuba invited more than a million Canadians yearly before the pandemic however that number has actually been gradually decreasing recently, with gos to dropping to around 700,000 in 2025, according to Statistics Canada. The firm taped 127,000 Canadian sees to Cuba in the very first quarter of this year.

Those numbers dropped considerably after U.S. President Donald Trump enforced the oil blockade on Cuba early this year, and the Canadian federal government consequently released a travel advisory due to the scarcity of medication, food and fuel in the nation. It still recommends Canadians to prevent all non-essential travel to Cuba.

After airline companies suspended flights and significant hotel chains took out of Cuba, the nation’s tourist market and the regional economy that greatly depended on it were more ravaged. The nation of around 11 million individuals is dealing with a humanitarian crisis triggered by the most recent sanctions and the decades-long U.S. trade embargo.

Cuba’s tourist market was controlled by Canadians who enjoyed its budget friendly winter season holiday choices. Now, they require to invest numerous dollars more to check out other locations or lower the variety of journeys they are making each year, travel representatives state.

John Wood, president of Durham Travel east of Toronto, stated Cuba visitors are “worth mindful” and wish to take a trip as typically as they can within their spending plans.

A Few Of Durham Travel’s customers utilized to go to Cuba “3, 4 or 5 times a year … since they might choose an extremely affordable rate, escape and delight in the sun and gorgeous beaches,” he stated in a current interview.

“And now they can’t do that any longer.”

Wood stated his travel bureau’s sales to Cuba dropped from more than $389,000 in 2015 to simply $24,000 up until now into 2026.

Travel sales for the Dominican Republic increased from about $1 million in 2025 to almost 1.3 million so far this year, he stated.

“The Dominican Republic appears to have actually soaked up the majority of the distinction from Cuba,” he stated, keeping in mind tourists’ issues about criminal activity and big seaweed blossoms in Mexico.

At Flight Centre Canada, nevertheless, Mexico stays the leading location– even if it’s more expensive, Harold stated.

A seven-day bundle at a four-star resort in Varadero, Cuba with a flight from Toronto expense under $1,400 per individual around the last holiday, she stated. Similar journeys to Mexico, Dominican Republic and Jamaica cost around $1,800 this year, according to Flight Centre information.

“So, for visitors that are utilized to Cuba prices, there might require to be a reset in expectations before they begin going shopping,” Harold stated.

That indicates travelers can “get imaginative” with their getaway prepares this vacation season, she stated.

“I believe this is an excellent chance for Canadians to branch off a bit more with their journeys and experience something brand-new.”