14/06/2026
“Cuban Tourism Needs a Renaissance with Deep Changes,”
Interview with Paolo Spadoni, a specialist in Cuban tourism, foreign investment, and economic relations between Cuba and the United States, by Rosa Pascual.
14ymedio, June 1, 2026.
Paolo Spadoni argues that Cuban tourism needs a deep transformation, not simply expansion. He states that tourism could become an important element in a future negotiated relationship with the United States, especially if travel restrictions and investment barriers were reduced. Cuba already has a large hotel infrastructure, but much of it is outdated or underused because the country invested more in building new hotels than in maintaining existing ones. He proposes a new tourism model based on foreign investment, a stronger private sector, better services, and a move beyond the traditional all-inclusive beach model.
Spadoni explains that the main weakness of Cuban tourism is not the number of hotels, but the low efficiency and weak connection with the rest of the economy. Cuba depends heavily on imports to supply hotels with food, equipment, and materials, which reduces the real economic benefits of tourism. Compared with destinations such as the Dominican Republic and Cancún, Cuba generates lower revenue per visitor because its tourism industry is not sufficiently integrated with agriculture, manufacturing, and local suppliers.
According to Spadoni, tourism alone cannot rebuild Cuba’s economy. The country needs broader economic reforms to improve agriculture, industry, infrastructure, productivity, and competitiveness. Tourism remains a key source of foreign currency and could become an engine for growth, but only if it is part of a larger economic transformation rather than an isolated sector.
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https://www.14ymedio.com/entrevista/sector-turistico-cubano-necesita-renacimiento_1_1127299.html
