Angered by Trump's threats, Canadians rethinking travel to Florida

Yahoo

21-02-2025

Orlando, Florida (tca/dpa) - Walt Disney World has been a regular destination for Tim Bishop and his family for years, but that's all over now.
The 56-year-old Toronto-area real estate agent is crossing Florida off his travel list and taking his money elsewhere.
'Any Canadian who has a lick of national pride should be rethinking their US travel plans as a simple gesture of the middle finger to Trump,' Bishop said in a text message. 'It's unfortunate because I'll miss visiting my American friends for the next four years.'
As President Donald Trump threatens sweeping tariffs and belittles Canada as the '51st state,' Bishop is part of a social media movement urging Canadians to spend their money at home or in more supportive countries.
That could be bad for business in Florida. Canada is the Sunshine State's top source of international visitors with the Maple Leaf flag flying proudly in snowbird enclaves and license plates from Ontario and Quebec signaling winter's arrival.
About 3.3 million Canadians flocked to Florida in 2024, making up roughly 2% of total visitors, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing organization. Orlando alone received more than 1.2 million Canadian visitors in 2023, the most recent data available.
'This figure underscores the importance of Canadian visitors to Orlando,' said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. 'While it's premature to forecast the full impact of tariffs, any disruption to our tourism industry could negatively impact our local economy.'
Though only a sliver of Florida's travel market, Canadian travel dollars add up. The U.S. Travel Associationwarned that a 10% drop in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits nationwide, leading to the loss of 14,000 jobs and a $2.1 billion economic hit.
Canada's weak dollar — worth about 70 US cents — has made America a more expensive destination, another factor that could alter Canadians' vacation plans.
Whether Canada's anger and the current political turmoil will translate to action remains to be seen.
Agents at Flight Centre, one of Canada's leading travel agencies, have noticed a shift away from US destinations, company spokeswoman Amra Durakovic said. Instead of Florida, some travelers are opting for warm-weather alternatives like Antigua, Mexico and Portugal.
Meanwhile, Porter Airlines, a Canada-based carrier, is monitoring the situation, said spokeswoman Robyn van Teunenbroek.
'We initially saw some softening of select US leisure markets, but it is too early to determine if there are any strong trends one way or the other,' she said. 'Many routes have increased bookings in recent days.'
Orlando International Airport offers 16 nonstop routes to Canada, and Visit Orlando mounts media campaigns throughout the year to fill those flights. The organization spent $3 million on a winter advertising push targeting Canadians that runs until April.
Visit Orlando has no plans to make major changes to its marketing strategy but is keeping close tabs on Canadian sentiment, Matej said.
Carolyn de Blieck, a Canadian vacation specialist, said she hasn't received any cancellations, but she's noticed more interest in non-US destinations. Her company, Pure Magic Vacations, specializes in helping Canadians plan trips to Central Florida theme parks and cruise lines.
Disney's strong brand could keep Canadians coming despite political tensions, she said.
'People who love Disney, who love Universal, who want to cruise, if that's a passion, I think they're going to still just consider ways to visit. … It's not something you necessarily find elsewhere,' de Blieck said.
Canada and the United States have long been close allies, but the relationship has soured since Trump took office. Trump threatened to impose 25% across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods and said he wanted to annex the country and make it a US state. Earlier this month, he paused those tariffs for 30 days in response to stronger border policies from Canada.
Canadians have responded by booing the US national anthem at hockey games and pulling American alcohol from store shelves. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to retaliate with tariffs punishing Trump-loving red states the most, listing Florida orange juice as an example of a product Canadians should shun. Canada is the top export market for Florida citrus.
Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Mexico, Canada after they pledge to boost border enforcement
As for travel, Trudeau urged Canadians in a national address to reconsider their summer vacation plans, encouraging them to explore their nation's natural wonders and 'stand up for Canada.'
Mark Singer, a Sarasota-based real estate agent catering to Canadian snowbirds, said he thinks Canada's weak dollar and Florida's rising property insurance rates are far bigger factors influencing travel decisions than Trump's politics. Those economic realities, along with instabilities in Florida's condo market, have created a financial 'perfect storm' that may have Canadian retirees reconsidering whether to spend time or purchase a vacation property in Florida, he said.
But even with those issues, Singer said, the Sunshine State's pleasant winter climate and attractions remain a powerful draw.
Florida weathered other boycott efforts from the NAACP and gay rights groups over Gov. Ron DeSantis' conservative culture-war agenda, hitting record tourism numbers in 2024.
'People are going to come to Florida regardless,' said Singer, a dual US-Canadian citizen. 'If you have a small percentage who want to boycott because of Trump, that's their choice. That's not going to stop Florida from succeeding. We still have beautiful beaches.'