Cuba tries to find new ways to stimulate its moribund tourism industry. The Caribbean island is partnering with Mexican travel companies to launch a new multi-destination tourism product linking the island with Mexico’s famous Maya World attractions as it looks to revive a tourism sector facing its deepest downturn in decades.
Tour operators Turismo Popular, Taíno Tours and Prelasa have signed an agreement to include Cuba as an extension of Mexico’s Mundo Maya (Maya World) circuit. The new itinerary will combine archaeological sites and colonial cities in southeastern Mexico with Havana, Varadero and other historic Cuban destinations.
The initiative is backed by the Cuban Embassy in Mexico and is being positioned as a response to the island’s sharp decline in international tourism.
Official figures show Cuba welcomed just 328,608 international visitors during the first four months of 2026, down 55.8% from the same period a year earlier.
The first travel packages are scheduled to launch in August, with direct flights operating between Cancun and Havana. The program will coincide with the Varadero Festival, taking place August 24-30, adding a cultural component to the itinerary.
Travelers will be able to combine visits to iconic Mexican destinations including Chichén Itzá, Tulum, Mérida and Palenque with Cuba’s colonial cities, beaches and multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites. The packages will target travelers from across the Americas as well as other international markets.
Cuban tourism adviser in Mexico Aleinor Zerquera said the partnership comes at a particularly challenging time for the island’s tourism industry, describing the initiative as a strategic effort to boost visitor numbers.
The agreement forms part of the Cuba-Mexico Tourism Cooperation Program 2025-2028, which includes joint tourism routes, professional training and binational promotional events.
The partnership comes as Cuba’s tourism industry continues to struggle. Following additional U.S. sanctions introduced earlier this year, the sector has faced significant operational challenges, including reduced airline service and lower hotel occupancy. Latest casualties from the U.S. administration occurred on July 13 when the United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism and two state-owned companies, Grupo Empresarial de Transporte Maritimo Portuario (GEMAR) and Grupo Empresarial del Comercio Exterior (GECOMEX).
By linking Cuba with one of Mexico’s most established tourism circuits, the new program aims to encourage visitors already traveling to Cancun to extend their vacations with a stay in Cuba, rather than marketing the island as a standalone destination. It could help to partially circumvent the total U.S. embargo on the island. However with the risk of further straining relations between the United States and Mexico…
