Cuba’s tourism collapse reflects entrenched US sanctions, energy scarcity, and systemic reliance on foreign capital
Original framing: “Cuba says nearly three-quarters of hotels have shut as travel plunges” — South China Morning Post
Empirical studies link tourism volatility to energy insecurity and climate risk, confirming that fuel shortages and hurricane exposure directly depress occupancy rates. Data from the World Bank and UNWTO demonstrate that diversified economies are statistically less prone to tourism‑driven recessions.
Cuba’s tourism collapse is not merely a symptom of external sanctions but the culmination of a historically entrenched mono‑tourism model, energy insecurity, and climate vulnerability that marginalizes Afro‑Cuban workers.
By foregrounding indigenous stewardship, regional comparative lessons, and scientific scenario planning, a pathway emerges that couples renewable energy, community‑owned enterprises, and regional trade solidarity to break the dependency cycle. Incorporating artistic and spiritual cultural assets can re‑orient tourism toward experiential, locally rooted offerings, while trickster insights expose how sanctions unintentionally fuel informal economies that destabilize communities. Implementing these multidimensional solutions requires coordinated action from Cuban authorities, Caribbean partners, climate finance institutions, and civil society to build a resilient, equitable tourism sector.