Cuba received 4% more tourists in the first half of 2024, compared to 2023, but its airline capacity was down by 1%, according to data released on Tuesday by the international consulting firm ForwardKeys.
The island's recovery continues to be one of the slowest in the Caribbean, along with destinations like Saint Martin (-62%), Haiti (-52%), Suriname (-4%) and Guadeloupe (-1%), while Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands (+69%), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (+40%), Belize (+30%) and Curaçao (+24%) lead the regional rankings.
In the case of Cuba's traditional competitors, Puerto Rico was up 18% in the first half, with a 15% increase in airline capacity; the Dominican Republic (12% and 14%) and Cancun (7% and 7%).
"Colombian visitors are the main factor in Cuba's recovery, with arrivals skyrocketing, up 221% compared to the same period in 2023," the study said.
ForwardKeys stressed that international arrivals to the Caribbean saw growth of 10% in the first half of 2024, and 13% compared to 2019.
"The Caribbean continues to perform strongly. The increase in year-on-year growth, though positive, was more modest compared to the rest of the Americas, which posted growth of 15% off the same period," the firm explained.