Canadian Tourist Numbers to Florida Plummet 13.9% in First Half of Year

Florida experienced a significant decline in Canadian tourist visits, dropping 13.9 percent to 1.68 million travelers during the first half of 2023, according to Visit Florida’s latest estimates. This follows two consecutive quarters of decreases, largely attributed to the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada.

Trade War Impacts Tourism

The second quarter saw a 4.2 percent decrease in Canadian visitors to 721,000, a considerable drop from the 848,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2019 – the last period before the pandemic. Officials cite the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canadian goods and subsequent retaliatory measures as key factors.

Canada’s Tourism Decline

Statistics Canada reports that the number of Canadian visitors to the United States has decreased for eleven consecutive months compared to the same period last year, with a single exception: September 2001 following the attacks on the United States. Florida’s overall tourism, while experiencing a slight dip, remains robust, with a total of 34 million visitors in the second quarter and 73.5 million in the first half of the year.

Hotel and Airline Trends

Despite the overall decline in Canadian tourism, Florida hotels reported a 1.2 percent increase in room leases and a 4.7 percent rise in prices. Airline travel decreased by 0.5 percent during the same period.

Despite these challenges, Florida is projected to close the year with a record-breaking 143.3 million visitors.