The Cuban Tourism Industry: Evolution, Challenges, and Prospects

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Dr. or Prof Paolo Spadoni (Augusta University) José Luis Perelló Cabrera (University of Havana)

The Cuban Tourism Industry

Evolution, Challenges, and Prospects

Dr. or Prof Paolo Spadoni (Augusta University), José Luis Perelló Cabrera (University of Havana), Dr. or Prof. John M. Kirk (Dalhousie University)

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English

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
04 September 2025

History of the Americas; Ethnic studies; Service industries

Series: Bloomsbury Studies on Cuba

This book by Paolo Spadoni and José Luis Perelló Cabrera examines the history of tourism in Cuba and the expansion and struggles of international tourism in Cuba in the post-Cold War era.

The Cuban Tourism Industry: Evolution, Challenges, and Prospects begins with a historical review of the development of tourism as an important industry in pre-1959 Cuba and the subsequent decline in the first fifteen years of the revolution before a modest recovery in the second half of the 1970s and during the 1980s. Spadoni and Cabrera continue with a thorough analysis of the remarkable expansion of international tourism in Cuba in the post-Cold War era and in the era of improved relations with the United States that officially began in 2014, along with an assessment of the sector’s economic impact and its main challenges. A critical assessment of the damaging effects on the Cuban tourism sector of stiffened U.S. sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, and largely maintained by the Biden administration, is also provided. This book examines tourism trends in Cuba and the Caribbean in the post-pandemic era and sheds additional light on Cuba’s recent tourism performance to underscore key flaws of the Cuban tourism industry and suggest potential adjustments.

By: Dr. or Prof Paolo Spadoni (Augusta University), José Luis Perelló Cabrera (University of Havana)
Foreword by: Dr. or Prof. John M. Kirk (Dalhousie University)
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781498590433
ISBN 10: 1498590438
Series: Bloomsbury Studies on Cuba
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 04 September 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Paolo Spadoni is Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Augusta University. He is the author of Cuba’s Socialist Economy Today: Navigating Challenges and Change (2014), and Failed Sanctions: Why the U.S. Embargo against Cuba Could Never Work (2010). José Luis Perelló Cabrera is a retired Professor at the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Havana and an advisor to the Development Directorate of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba.

Reviews for The Cuban Tourism Industry: Evolution, Challenges, and Prospects

Rich with historical context, economic data, and fascinating analysis, The Cuban Tourism Industry is a long-overdue and comprehensive study of tourism in a country with one of the largest tourism sectors in the Caribbean. It is an impressive contribution to our understanding of Cuba’s complex history with tourism, from the earliest colonial period though to the current era. It deftly explores the role of tourism in the Cuban economy through the revolutionary period, examines the dramatic changes to this industry in the post-Cold War era, and addresses the opening shepherded in by Barack Obama and Raul Castro. It then offers an analysis of the influence of pandemic era restrictions and the reversal of US policy. The authors bring the study to a close with recommendations for a rebirth rather than a simple recovery of the industry. It also draws astute comparisons with other Caribbean states, offering a volume that would be of wide interest to scholars and practitioners of tourism in the Caribbean as well as those with a particular interest in Cuba. * Lana Wylie, McMaster University, Canada * The Cuban Tourism Industry: Evolution, Challenges, and Prospects is an essential work for academics, policymakers, and tourists interested in Cuba’s history and Tourism industry. The book follows the evolution of the Tourism industry in Cuba from the pre-revolution American influence, the impact of the revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and exogeneous factors from U.S. politics to Covid, and their impact on the tourism industry as a predominant driver of the economy in Cuba. Each period includes discussions on foreign direct investment, regulation and policies, and factors that have both helped and hindered tourism development. Paolo Spadoni and José Luis Perelló Cabrera have provided us with a well-researched and critical resource to understand the trends, challenges and complexities of both the past, and the future of the Tourism industry in Cuba. * Hilary Becker, Carelton University, Canada *