Florida Targets Canadian Visitor Recovery Amid Cooling Relations Between Washington and Ottawa
Florida’s tourism industry is navigating a difficult period on the Canadian front. State officials and hospitality industry representatives are intensifying efforts to win back Canadian travelers, arranging meetings with Canadian officials and planning trips to Toronto and Vancouver. These steps come amid a notable decline in Canadian visitor traffic to the United States and political tensions fueled by the tariff policy and rhetoric of President Donald Trump.
Visit Florida and the Restaurant and Lodging Association Seek Talks with Canadian Counterparts
Visit Florida and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association are coordinating talks with Canadian officials. The initiative was announced at a Visit Florida executive committee meeting last Monday. The primary goal of the discussions is to sustain and, where possible, grow Canadian visitor traffic to the state.
“This opportunity came to us, and we are both going to go to the meeting to figure out what we can do,” said Carol Dover, head of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Who Is Behind the Initiative
Brian Griffin serves as president and CEO of Visit Florida; prior to joining the agency last summer, he served as communications director for Governor Ron DeSantis. Carol Dover leads the state’s largest restaurant and lodging association and also sits on the Visit Florida board of directors. It is precisely the partnership between the two organizations that is expected to deliver a coordinated approach to the Canadian market.
Trade Shows and Media Appearances in Canada’s Largest Cities
Brian Griffin plans to participate in industry trade shows in Toronto and Vancouver in the coming months and is also exploring potential appearances in Canadian media. These trips are part of a broader campaign to maintain inbound traffic from all international markets.
“We are doing everything we can, as we do with any other country outside the United States, to ensure a stable level of visitor traffic,” Griffin emphasized.
Overall Visitor Traffic to Florida Edged Higher
A December estimate from Visit Florida showed that 34.339 million people visited the state from early July through the end of September. In the same third quarter of the prior year, the figure stood at 34.239 million. A modest but positive year-over-year gain was recorded for both domestic and international travel.
Canadian Visitor Traffic at Its Lowest Since 2021
Against the backdrop of overall growth, the Canadian segment presents a concerning picture. In the third quarter of 2025, Florida welcomed 507,000 Canadian visitors, compared with 597,000 during the same period in 2024. This is the lowest quarterly figure since the fourth quarter of 2021, when only 275,000 Canadian residents traveled to Florida. For context, the pre-pandemic benchmark for the third quarter stood at 703,000 visitors in 2019.
Could One of the Tourist Magnets Be Losing Its Appeal?
Florida has traditionally attracted Canadians not only with its beaches and warm climate, but also with its entertainment infrastructure: theme parks, cruise terminals, restaurants, and land-based casinos.
However, the latter segment is facing additional pressure from the rapidly growing iGaming industry. Several live games have gained enormous popularity among English-speaking audiences over the past couple of years: Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, Lightning Roulette, Mega Ball, and Crazy Balls. The last of these, according to data published at playcrazyballs.com, is recording some of the highest audience growth rates among live casino shows. A growing number of players prefer to start a session from their phone rather than fly to another state or country to visit a gaming floor.
For Florida, this means that the competition for Canadian tourists is being waged not only against rival resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean, but also against digital entertainment accessible from anywhere in the world.
According to Statistics Canada data published last month, the number of return trips by Canadian residents from the United States fell 23.6% year-over-year in November, while air travel declined 12.1%. Meanwhile, the return of Canadians from international destinations unrelated to the United States rose 14.1%. It is clear that Canadian travelers are redirecting their itineraries.
Tariffs, the “51st State,” and Trump’s Hockey Remark
Relations between Washington and Ottawa have cooled noticeably amid tariff policy and Trump’s statements, including his repeated suggestion of making Canada the “51st state.” A telling episode followed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing, where he discussed tariff reductions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump responded on Truth Social, stating that “China has successfully and completely taken over the once great country of Canada,” and added: “I only hope they leave Hockey alone!”
November and December Show Promise, with Final Data Due in a Few Weeks
Visit Florida plans to release fourth-quarter figures and an overall 2025 estimate within the next two weeks. Domestic and Canadian numbers have not yet been finalized. Nevertheless, Brian Griffin describes the latest Canadian data as “positive.”
“November and December were the strongest months for Canadian travel since February,” he noted.
Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Colombia Confirm Growth
According to Brian Griffin, the three largest sources of international tourists posted solid performance throughout 2025:
- Brazil — up 10.4%
- United Kingdom — up 6%
- Colombia — up 6% compared with 2024