Sunwing Vacations' Cuba Suspension Boosts Canadian Bookings to Dominican Republic and Mexico

Sunwing Vacations halted all flights to Cuba on June 5, 2026 after a U.S. deadline required foreign companies to cut ties with Cuba's military tourism conglomerate GAESA. The suspension was indefinite and left a large share of Canadian travelers without their usual winter destination.

Following the pause, Sunwing reported a 50 % year‑over‑year rise in bookings to the Dominican Republic, with Puerto Plata up 60 % and Samaná also seeing strong growth. Mexican resorts captured about a quarter of the displaced demand, led by Cancun and Mazatlán, the latter posting more than a 70 % increase. Bookings to other Caribbean and Central American sites such as Liberia (Costa Rica), Río Hato (Panama), and Freeport (Bahamas) also rose sharply.

Cuban tourism has been severely affected, with Canadian arrivals falling from roughly 99,000 in March 2025 to just over 500 in the same month of 2026, and overall international arrivals down over 55 % year‑over‑year. Sunwing emphasized that value, resort quality, and hospitality remain key factors for Canadian travelers as the company explores alternative sun‑destinations.