This summer, the LATA community is coming together to support tourism-dependent families in Cuba facing one of the most challenging periods in the island’s recent history.

The LATA Challenge 2026 – Move for Cuba invites LATA members to collectively walk, run, cycle and swim the length of Cuba’s coastline while raising funds for emergency food parcels for families experiencing severe hardship.

Working in partnership with Cubania, a long-standing LATA member with deep roots in Cuba, the LATA Challenge will help provide vital food support to families in Havana and Trinidad through established local networks on the ground.

Our goal is to raise £13,000, enabling the delivery of 200 emergency food parcels to 200 families in Cuba through trusted local partners working with Cubania.

Each participant is encouraged to raise a minimum of £130, enough to fund at least two food parcels and directly support two families in urgent need.

Any additional funds raised will allow us to extend support further as need on the ground continues to grow.

Why Cuba?

Cuba continues to face a profound economic crisis.

Fuel shortages, prolonged power cuts, food scarcity and rising prices have become part of everyday life. Many households receive only a few hours of electricity each day, while shortages of basic goods make daily life increasingly difficult.

For families who rely on tourism for their livelihoods, the challenges are even greater. Casa owners, guides, drivers, hospitality workers and small business owners have seen incomes fall dramatically, leaving many struggling to provide essential food for their families.

These are the people who have welcomed our clients, partnered with our members and helped create the travel experiences that have connected visitors with Cuba for decades.

Today, many of them need our support.

How Your Support Helps

Through its established network of trusted contacts in Havana and Trinidad, Cubania has already been coordinating the purchase and distribution of emergency food parcels to families in need.

Each food parcel costs approximately £60–£70 and contains essential staples including rice, beans, chicken, eggs, cooking oil, powdered milk, pasta, tuna, coffee and other household essentials.

Thanks to donations received so far, more than 60 families have already received support.

The aim of Move for Cuba is to extend that support to at least another additional 100 families, ensuring more households have access to basic food supplies during this difficult period.

A Trusted Community Network

The success of this initiative relies on local knowledge and trusted relationships.

Working through long-standing community contacts, Cubania identifies families most in need and coordinates the purchase and distribution of food parcels directly within local communities in Cuba.

In Trinidad, Cubania works alongside established local partners and community groups to ensure support reaches vulnerable families efficiently and transparently.

Each distribution is documented, providing reassurance that donations are reaching the people they are intended to help.

The Challenge

Throughout the summer, participants will track their activities through Enthuse linked to Strava, contributing to a collective virtual journey around Cuba’s coastline.

Whether you choose to walk, run, cycle or swim, every kilometre logged will move the challenge forward and help raise funds for Cuban families in need.

Individuals, teams and businesses across the travel industry are encouraged to take part, creating a fun and engaging challenge that brings the LATA community together around a shared cause.

Building on a LATA Tradition of Support

Many members will remember the LATA Foundation’s successful ‘25 for 25’ challenge during the pandemic, when members came together to raise more than £18,000 to support Inca Trail porters in Peru.

Move for Cuba continues that tradition of supporting the people behind the destinations we love and sell.