Because the winter vacation season approaches, one of the crucial well-liked sunny locations for Canadian travellers stays out of attain.
The US’ oil blockade in opposition to Cuba triggered extreme gas shortages within the nation and prompted Canadian airways to indefinitely droop flights to the island vacation spot earlier this yr.
Journey brokers say Canadians trying to escape the chilly climate this yr must pay greater than what they’re used to for inexpensive all-inclusive packages in Cuba.
Ashley Harold, a journey agent at Flight Centre Canada, mentioned Mexico, Dominican Republic and several other different Caribbean international locations and territories similar to Aruba, Barbados and Jamaica appear to be getting a lot of the diversions.
“There isn’t one new Cuba, if you’ll. Canadians, they’re actually spreading their winter journey throughout a a lot wider mixture of locations and journey sorts,” she mentioned in a current interview.
“We’re additionally seeing some travellers think about Caribbean cruises or excursions to still-warm locations like Costa Rica or Peru.”
Home tourism can be gaining traction as some Canadians are selecting to go to “implausible” winter locations, from Alberta to the West Coast, she mentioned.
“People, now greater than ever, are eager to discover their very own yard and preserve their greenback inside Canada,” she mentioned.
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Though advance bookings have turn into a brand new regular after COVID-19, the shortage of Cuban holidays has led Canadians to make reservations in different locations a lot earlier for finest pricing and selection, Harold mentioned.
Cuba welcomed greater than one million Canadians yearly earlier than the pandemic however that quantity has been steadily declining in recent times, with visits dropping to round 700,000 in 2025, in accordance with Statistics Canada. The company recorded 127,000 Canadian visits to Cuba within the first quarter of this yr.
These numbers dropped considerably after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed the oil blockade on Cuba early this yr, and the Canadian authorities subsequently issued a journey advisory as a result of scarcity of medication, meals and gas within the nation. It nonetheless advises Canadians to keep away from all non-essential journey to Cuba.
After airways suspended flights and main resort chains pulled out of Cuba, the nation’s tourism trade and the native financial system that closely relied on it have been additional devastated. The nation of round 11 million folks is going through a humanitarian disaster brought on by the newest sanctions and the decades-long U.S. commerce embargo.
Cuba’s tourism market was dominated by Canadians who relished its inexpensive winter trip choices. Now, they should spend a whole bunch of {dollars} extra to discover different locations or reduce down the variety of journeys they’re making annually, journey brokers say.
John Wooden, president of Durham Journey east of Toronto, mentioned Cuba guests are “worth aware” and need to journey as usually as they will inside their budgets.
A few of Durham Journey’s shoppers used to go to Cuba “three, 4 or 5 instances a yr … as a result of they might go for a really cheap value, get away and benefit from the solar and exquisite seashores,” he mentioned in a current interview.
“And now they will’t do this anymore.”
Wooden mentioned his journey company’s gross sales to Cuba dropped from greater than $389,000 final yr to only $24,000 to date into 2026.
In the meantime, journey gross sales for the Dominican Republic elevated from about $1 million in 2025 to almost 1.3 million to date this yr, he mentioned.
“The Dominican Republic seems to have absorbed a lot of the distinction from Cuba,” he mentioned, noting travellers’ considerations about crime and enormous seaweed blooms in Mexico.
At Flight Centre Canada, nonetheless, Mexico stays the highest vacation spot — even when it’s pricier, Harold mentioned.
A seven-day package deal at a four-star resort in Varadero, Cuba with a flight from Toronto price below $1,400 per particular person across the final vacation season, she mentioned. Comparable journeys to Mexico, Dominican Republic and Jamaica price round $1,800 this yr, in accordance with Flight Centre information.
“So, for travellers which are used to Cuba pricing, there could have to be a reset in expectations earlier than they begin buying,” Harold mentioned.
However which means vacationers can “get inventive” with their trip plans this vacation season, she mentioned.
“I believe it is a nice alternative for Canadians to department out a little bit bit extra with their travels and expertise one thing new.”
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