Havana, Cuba – In Havana’s Parque Central, a 19th-century square in the old city, taxi driver Rainier Hernandez stands next to his bubblegum-pink 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe, scanning hopefully for tourists.The custom convertible was once popular with the millions of visitors who used to flow into Cuba every year.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHernandez, 38, used to work upwards of six hours a day ferrying tourists around the city, but since the United States imposed a de facto oil blockade on Cuba in January, he is lucky to get one or two hours of paid work in a day.“The impact of the blockade right now is a horrible thing that no Cuban had expected,” Hernandez said. “For us, the workers, we have a lot to lose, because we eat and live off of [tourism].”For decades, tourism was a pillar of Cuba’s economy. At its height in the late 2010s, nearly 12 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) came from travel-related sectors.But that economic momentum has sputtered in recent years, a trend accelerated by a recent spike in tensions between the US and Cuba.From January to November last year, the island received only 1.6 million tourists, a staggering drop from its 2018 peak of 4.8 million.That has left the Cubans who rely on tourism for their livelihoods uncertain about their future on the island, as they struggle to afford necessities.“If there is no tourism, there is no economy,” said Carlos Fariñas, a 29-year-old tour guide who is among those considering whether to leave. Rainier Hernandez, 38, sits in his 1951 Chev …
