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Miami Herald
07-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
What's the cost to Florida's economy of Canadian tariffs and canceling spring break?
Miamians love to complain about tourists clogging the roads and jamming the beaches. But lately, we've had to wonder: What if they stopped coming? It's mostly Canadians we're talking about. There are worrying indications that our neighbors to the north, long a staple of South Florida tourism, may be staying away this year in big enough numbers to make a dent in our service-based economy. A recent story by the Miami Herald noted that flights from Quebec to Miami are down 20%, and the drop is more noticeable at the Fort Lauderdale airport, where airlines have reduced planned seat capacity from April all the way through June. The decline in Canadian tourism is being felt by restaurants and small business owners, too. Some Canadians have cited political reasons for not visiting. Roger Quesnel, from Quebec, recently told the Miami Herald that his son-in-law doesn't '...want to come down here and spend money for Trump.' Some businesses cited rising costs to visit Florida along with the political climate as key reasons for the downturn. But political reasons are definitely part of it. And Canadians are making their feelings known with billboards across Florida, including a couple along Interstate 75 near Miramar. One of the billboards, which the Canadian government paid for, tells drivers on the highway that President Trump's newly imposed tariffs amount to a tax 'on hardworking Americans.' Will this really pinch South Florida? Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, the area's official marketing organization, said 'the region annually receives about 1.1 million Canadian tourists, whose absence could significantly impact the local economy.' A loss of Canadian tourism is problematic for a state and an area that has long depended heavily on the tourism industry. Canadians have long been part of the the traditional Florida 'snow birds' — people who come south and stay during the winter months, then fly back home when spring arrives. We may gripe about their driving habits and how hard it is to get around at the height of the season, but our economy relies on tourists. And don't forget Miami Beach also shooed away a lot of spring breakers in the last couple of years. The Beach's 'break up with spring break' campaign was understandable and needed: In 2023, Miami Beach saw a record number of shootings during spring break. The city commission pushed back, hard, with sky-high parking rates, lane narrowing, license plate readers and anti-spring break video that went viral. It seems to have worked. Spring break weekends were much tamer this year and last. And people are still visiting Miami Beach. As Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez wrote in an opinion article for the Miami Herald earlier this month, data from the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority showed hotel occupancy for the week ending March 22 at 85% — a 10.5% increase from two years ago. That's a good sign of a resilient economy but he did also note that some businesses have been impacted by the change, with some restaurants and retailers feeling financial strain from a loss in foot traffic in March. Uber drivers also have lamented a lower number of riders during what is usually a busy spring season. Fernandez said Miami Beach must adapt. He's right. Perhaps it's time to revisit the former Mayor Dan Gelber's live-work-play vision to turn South Beach into a mixed-use cultural district. But adapting — and broadening our economic base — should also be part of a larger conversation about Florida and its future as a tourist destination. Sun and beaches and the outdoors will always attract visitors. Florida is in no real danger when it comes to tourism. Still, we don't know yet how deeply the Trump tariff war will cut into the ability or desire of people to come to the Sunshine State. What would Florida be without all its tourists? Let's hope we don't have to find out. Click here to send the letter.
Boston Globe
03-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Canadian travel to US is plummeting: ‘There's a lot of anger'
Other tour companies, travel agencies, destinations, airlines and hotels can relate. America's friends across the border are not so eager to come over and hang out. Advertisement 'For the nicest people on the planet, who are Canadians, the language is strong,' said Stacy Ritter, head of Visit Lauderdale in South Florida. 'There's a lot of anger out there.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The US Travel Association estimates that some 20 million Canadians visit annually, escaping frigid winters to generate more than $20 billion in spending, including in literal hot spots like Florida, Arizona and California. The country is the top source of international visitors to the United States. But the love fest may be on thin ice: Industry experts are reporting a steep decrease in Canadian visitors so far in 2025, pointing to a drop in airline and hotel bookings and reduction in the number of available seats on Canadian airlines flying into the United States. Advertisement Many Canadians say they are angry at Trump for placing hefty tariffs on goods from their country and belittling the sovereignty of the United States' close ally with talk of making the 3.8 million-square-mile country the 51st state. Trump signed an Inauguration Day executive order to enforce an existing law requiring Canadians visiting the US for longer than 30 days to register with American authorities. Some are nervous about crossing the border amid an immigration crackdown that has gained widespread attention in Canada. The unfavorable exchange rate doesn't help. For Cheryl Stiefvater, 66, of Vancouver Island, canceling fall plans to drive a trailer around the United States with her husband amounts to an act of patriotism. 'It actually is kind of a moral choice. That's how it feels,' said Stiefvater, a retired provincial government worker. 'It's one of the ways that we as Canadian citizens can stand against this.' 'Complete collapse' McKenzie McMillan, a Vancouver-based adviser with the Travel Group, said his company would typically be busy this time of year arranging last-minute spring break and summer trips for Canadians to such favorite spots as San Diego, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Florida. Instead, he said, 'it's zero.' The steep drop-off started gradually, with some clients in January saying they were thinking they might avoid the US this year. 'Since February, it's been a complete collapse.' McMillan said about 20 to 30 percent of trips that were already booked got canceled. Since then, he said, the company has seen about a 90 percent drop in new bookings for US vacations compared with the previous year, as clients opt for other destinations. That is in line with what Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, has been expecting. His travel analytics firm predicted 4 million fewer Canadians visiting the United States this year, a 20 percent decrease that could create a loss of $4.3 billion in the American economy, he said. Advertisement PT Tours, a bus tour company based in New Brunswick, called off the eight trips on the books for the United States, including visits to Boston and Washington, D.C., along with an October shopping trip to New Hampshire that has been offered for more than 10 years. Owner Phyllis LeBlanc said customers started calling to cancel their bookings in late January. She didn't want to lose her deposit on hotel rooms, so she pulled all the trips. 'They were uncertain what was going to happen in the States; they didn't feel comfortable,' she said of her customers. The exchange rate and tariffs added to the declining interest. 'With all the news going on, people are afraid.' Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian actress and entrepreneur with a US work visa, was detained at the Tijuana crossing for weeks, multiple outlets reported. Before she was released, British Columbia Premier David Eby said her situation 'certainly reinforces anxiety that … many Canadians have about our relationship with the US right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.' Daniel Fequet, co-founder and general manager of Montreal-based Approach Tours, said the Canadian retirees who book with his company are paying for a lack of complication when they travel. Fequet said a quarter of his customers over the past couple of months have told sales workers that they are booking with his company specifically because they don't want a trip to the United States, taking their weakening Canadian dollars to destinations such as South Africa instead. Advertisement 'There is uncertainty, and with that comes a lack of security. I think those are two main drivers of the decrease in the U.S.,' he said. Fewer Canadians flying, visiting Florida February automobile trips from Canada to the US dropped 17.5 percent year over year, according to US Customs and Border Protection data. Canada's government statistics office reported the drop as 23 percent year over year. Canada also reported that its residents took 13.1 percent fewer flights to the US and back over the same stretch. Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, a travel agency, saw a 40 percent decrease in leisure bookings to the United States in February compared with a year earlier. The company's leisure brand also saw a 20 percent cancellation rate on US trips; many of those were shifted to places like Mexico or the Caribbean. 'As we move into April, we're tracking a clear shift in travel preferences,' spokeswoman Amra Durakovic said in a statement. 'Canadians still want to see the world - they're simply being more intentional about where they go and how they spend, particularly in light of currency exchange and evolving global dynamics.' Group travel company Intrepid Travel said the proportion of Canadian bookings to the US - meaning the percentage of all Canadian bookings for the US compared with other destinations - was down 92 percent in March compared with a year earlier, reflecting what the company called a 'souring national mood' toward the United States. Air Canada reported at its annual meeting this week that bookings for flights across the border over the next six months were down 10 percent year over year, according to Bloomberg. Advertisement Analyzing certain online travel agency bookings made from major Canadian airports to key US cities in the first quarter for travel in April through June, the aviation analytics firm Cirium found them down by a little more than 20 percent. An analysis from aviation data firm Visual Approach shows that many airlines have cut their capacity to airports in some top tourism spots. Courtney Miller, the firm's founder, said the American airport that saw the biggest drop in April arrivals from Canada is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International in Florida, with a 20 percent decrease. That has Ritter, head of Fort Lauderdale's tourism board, concerned. She said Broward County welcomes about 1.1 million Canadians every year. But, she said, now many of them have been emailing and saying things must change for them to visit again. She said even a 20 percent drop in Canadians to the area could 'have devastating consequences' when combined with a drop in visitors from Europe who may be concerned about strict entry policies. 'I'm not sure the administration thought this through, but this is an unintended consequence that may or may not have an impact,' Ritter said. Visit Orlando said in a statement that there has been a 'notable slowing of pace' in recent weeks for advance hotel bookings by Canadians through September, with the most extreme numbers showing a 35 percent dip in May. The area, home to Disney World,, welcomed more than 1.2 million Canadians in 2023, more than any other nationality. Florida hosted nearly 3.3 million Canadian visitors in 2024, according to data published by the state's tourism arm, accounting for 27 percent of the year's international visitors to the state. Advertisement The state's residents pay no income tax largely because tourism dollars offset the lack of revenue. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Tuesday during a news conference that he wasn't worried about early reports of Canadians not coming to Florida because he and his family were at Legoland in Central Florida a couple weeks ago, and '80 percent' of the people stopping him for pictures were Canadians. 'So,' he said, 'the Canadians are coming. We're gonna continue to be a tourist hot spot.' But it's not just Florida at risk. A dip of just 10 to 15 percent in Canadian visitors could lead to millions of dollars lost in direct spending around the border that separates Ontario from Upstate New York, said Fram, tourism director for the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council. Jim Byers, a Canada-based travel writer who has dual citizenship with the US, said editors in Canada have been saying they don't want coverage of US destinations. Some writers are avoiding press trips to the States. A senior writer for the travel trade publication OpenJaw, Byers said he expects to write more stories this summer about traveling within Canada. The turn away from the United States, he said, goes along with the 'Buy Canadian' movement within the country and the slogan 'Elbows up,' referencing a hockey move. 'It's a very, very strong, guttural reaction to someone we thought was our friend,' Byers said. Stiefvater acknowledged that it was 'kind of heartbreaking' to take a US trip off the calendar. She and her husband alternate each year between Europe and the United States, where she has family members. They have visited national parks, Oregon's wine country, Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and more. She isn't sure yet where they'll go instead. 'All I know is that I want to go someplace warm,' she said.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘People are canceling reservations.' Canadian tourists rethink Florida trips due to Trump
Canadian tourist Jacqueline Robert smiles and clutches her shoulders in a warm embrace in the courtyard of Richard's Motel in Hollywood. She looks a visitor in the eye and exclaims, 'The sun!' And on a toasty 80-degree morning in late March, in the courtyard of the Canadian-themed universe Richard Clavet has built for the French-Canadian community from Quebec, a glorious 'The sun!' says it all. A group of mostly French-speaking snowbirds, like Karen Hopper, 69, bounce in a pool for an Aqua Zumba class led by Canadian-American instructor Jennifer Morris. Couples, like Hopper and Gary Cherneski, 76, of Leamington, Ontario, met here, at this string of nearly 10 colorful Hollywood hotels and motels all bearing Clavet's first name. There's Richard's Hotel. Richard's Motel. Richard's Pet Friendly Motel. Richard's Motel Studios — all strung along South Federal Highway just south of Young Circle. But, this season, business is off, and there are fewer Canadians spending money in South Florida. The Trump administration's mercurial policies are creating tension and uncertainty. Threats of tariffs on Canadian products, talk of new registration requirements for Canadian travelers, or even annexing the country as the 51st state, are making many Canadians reevaluate if they want to spend their money in the United States. 'I got one guy that had a $1,000 deposit. You know for sure he's coming. He gave up his deposit,' Clavet said. 'And it's not like he decided not to come. But, just to protest, he said he was going to Cuba instead.' After years of growth, Canadian tourism in Florida is reversing course, tourism officials say and initial data indicate. Passenger arrivals from Canada at Miami International Airport are down this year, three weeks into March. Demand for flights from Canada to South Florida has fallen about 20% compared to a year ago. 'Visit Lauderdale is deeply concerned about potential travel restrictions on our tourism industry,' said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, Greater Fort Lauderdale's official marketing organization. The area annually gets about 1.1 million Canadian tourists, she noted. Canadians love South Florida from its beaches to boardrooms. Hotels and motels in Broward County at this time of the year usually brim with tourists from the United States' longtime ally to the north. This year, something is out of the ordinary. The Sunshine State, long a welcoming winter escape for Canadian sun worshippers like Robert, who hails from Saint-Jean in Quebec, is feeling the brunt. 'It's a strange time,' said Sophie Lalonde, chair of the Canada-Florida Business Council. 'We've always been friends,' but 'all of a sudden, Canadians are not welcome.' READ MORE: Prices on all vehicles 'will undoubtedly go up' after Trump auto tariffs, experts say Clavet's South Florida enclave is worlds removed from the ostentatious White Lotus hotel chain of streaming television fame. But this mini-Canada in South Florida, and the global U.S.-Canada relationship, is facing a season's worth of high drama since President Donald Trump's second non-consecutive term to the White House began in January. His executive orders and domestic and international policy changes — including slapping a 25 percent tariff Wednesday on imported cars and car parts — have whipsawed Canada, Mexico and the European Union, traditional U.S. allies. The impact is felt in the community Clavet has built in Hollywood over 35 years. 'It's terrible,' said Clavet, 60. 'People are canceling reservations left and right. They're not booking. We should be super, super busy right now and we're just basically seeking American business,' he said. He adds the unthinkable: 'I think we need to give up on the Canadians.' Clavet, who arrived in Florida from Quebec in 1985, is torn. 'I would say my heart is on both sides of the border. I think it's terrible what's going on in Canada right now,' said Clavet, who opened his first motel in 1990. 'I guess it depends on how you're looking at things right now. Right now, there's like a mass movement from the Canadians and they're all identifying together as against the U.S. And they're cutting their flights coming down this way.' Clavet nods toward Roger Quesnel, a fit 84-year-old golfer seated in the motel's courtyard, chatting away with other Québécois. Quesnel is from Magog in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, and Clavet identifies him as his mother Nicole's 'lover.' 'Love-her,' Quesnel corrects, emphasizing the second syllable. Both men laugh. The French-only speakers among them don't understand the language but they recognize the mirth. They smile at the kinship. Most of Clavet's guests at the motel on this steamy March morning say they are staying — and coming back. Hopper and Cherneski are the rarities here. They are from Ontario but don't speak French. Nevertheless, for three years they've been coming to Richard's after fielding recommendations. Since 2012, they've wintered in South Florida seeking warmth, Cherneski said. She's semi-retired. He's retired. They've found a community here. 'The majority in this place are French. But it doesn't matter to us,' Hopper said, moments before splashing in the pool for Aqua Zumba. 'I just like how friendly everybody is to us. How accommodating they are to us even though there's a language barrier. We seem to get by. We've been here three months,' she said Thursday. 'We're going home Saturday.'' Concerned about the administration's new policies, they plan to abide by the new laws and return, they say. 'We're booked for next year. We see the same people. We come the same time every year and the same people are here. We've made lots of good friends here,' Hopper said. Quesnel, the golfer, has wintered in South Florida since the 1960s, living in condos on the ocean, condos on golf courses, condos 'everywhere,' he said. He'd come for visits with his late wife, who died in 1967, and always came back. Retired at 61, Quesnel has been traveling to Clavet's quirky Canadian community every winter for the eight years he's been dating the personable owner's Mom. He also comes to play golf at the nearby Orangebrook Golf and Country and dine at the Hollywood Flanigan's — both magnets for Canadian tourists, he said. At least, they were. 'This winter, we've seen less Canadians in both places,' Quesnel said. 'And the month of March, it really died. There's no wait if you want a table compared to the past years. In my activities, I see less French Canadians. Yeah, it's up to the jury to say. Of course, the low dollar is a very big percentage of that. 'Since November, I think that the political relationship is not too good to encourage Québécois to come down,' Quesnel said. 'My own son-in-law, I've been asking him four times to come down for a week, room and board included, and do the golf with me. There's no way he wants to come down here and spend money for Trump. 'God willing,' he'll brave it next year to stay at Richard's cozy rooms, Quesnel added. 'I'm 84 but I'm a real snowbird, as you define.' Broward tourism officials are increasingly worried not everyone will tough it out like Quesnel. 'Canada has long been one of our most valuable international markets, with Canadian visitors contributing significantly to our local economy, supporting thousands of jobs, and fueling our vibrant hospitality sector,' Ritter, the Visit Lauderdale president, wrote in an email to the Herald. They 'show great respect and love for our community' and 'their presence enriches our local culture,' she said. But Ritter is expecting her region to take a hit in the coming months. 'Our tourism industry thrives on open borders, accessibility and strong international relationships,' she said. When comparing airline schedules on March 25 against what they had planned for on Jan. 31, airlines flying between Canada and MIA reduced seat capacity 13% in April, 17% in May and 15% in June. The reductions are even bigger for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: an 18% drop in seat capacity in April, 19% less in May and a 25% decrease in June. That's according to data by Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Nationally, the number of flights from Canada to the U.S. are also down, though not as much as the Florida traffic: an average of 4.4% fewer seats in April, May and June. Through March 23, 5,405 fewer travelers had arrived on flights to MIA from Canada — a 4% decline from the same period in 2024, according to Greg Chin, communications director for Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Local businesses have witnessed the decline. Francois Grenier has owned the Dania Beach Dairy Belle since his parents started the charming eatery in the area in 1998. Dairy Belle caters to French-Canadian tourists with its menu mix of Canadian favorites like poutine along with cheeseburgers, hot dogs and ice cream specialties. Grenier, a Canadian-American who has lived in the U.S. for 33 years, found a busy location at the Meadowbrook Square mall five years ago at 312 E. Dania Beach Blvd. 'The current economic situation, especially with the Canadian dollar being very weak, a lot of Canadians are not coming as long or they're not coming at all. So we've seen a little decline, but nothing drastic,' he said. 'But it was a little bit slower this year,' he added, citing several factors: the political situation, falling Canadian dollar, and Florida's rising costs. 'The cost of living here in Florida, the rentals, all of that went up. I'm not worried because we have a very stable business. We do target the Canadians in the winter months. But we have our local clientele in the summer.' Danny Hamas, who until 15 years ago ran the eatery Pôle Nord on the Hollywood Broadwalk, has seen business slip this season at the Canadian-themed Mammy's Cantine food truck he's run on Clavet's property since selling his Broadwalk restaurant. The blistering reports on television news has stoked fears on both sides of the North American continent. 'It's slow,' he said, as he dished a plate of poutine to a customer outside the window of his food truck. 'The TV news is no good. The people, they don't want to come.' Canada was the state's number one source of foreign tourists for the past two years. In 2023, about 3.2 million Canadians visited the Sunshine State, a 20% increase from 2022, outpacing the 18% growth rate the rest of the world provided. That growth continued into 2024. Preliminary data shows 3.3 million Canadians visited Florida last year, up by 1.2% compared to 2023. All state data comes from Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing arm. The increase is significant because although the number of visitors was 20% less than 2019 levels, 'this marks the closest that Canadian visitation has come to pre-pandemic levels,' Visit Florida wrote in a Feb. 14 report. In some ways, the damage from reduced Canadian interest is not yet evident. In the fourth quarter of 2024, about 742,000 Canadians visited the state, a 6.7% increase from the fourth quarter of 2023. That was part of a record high – 33.1 million - fourth-quarter tourists in the state, according to Visit Florida. But that was before President Trump took office on Jan. 20. And Canadians enjoy Miami-Dade County as well. About 296,000 Canadians spent at least one night in the area in 2023, 18% more than in 2022, according to the Greater Miami Convention Center & Visitors Bureau. The number of Canadians trailed only Colombia and Brazil. The organization did not have figures for 2024. The tourism decline is spilling over to the business traveler. The Canada Florida Chamber of Commerce held a long-planned event in Miami-Dade County in late March. The group, which promotes trade and investment between the two places, scheduled a trade mission to coincide with eMerge Americas, three days ahead of eMerge's annual conference on March 27-28. The trade mission was supposed to help Canadian businesses expand in Florida or Canadian investors find promising start-ups in AI, robotics, and the defense industry. CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs were coming from Canada. Yet, many changed their minds at the last minute. About 20 Canadians still came but at least another 15 who signed up pulled out, said Lalonde, chair of the Canada-Florida Business Council and an organizer of the trade mission. 'A lot of people with strong interest called and asked to have their names be taken off [the trip],' she said. That included some who own property in Florida and have long-standing ties to the state. 'It's too hard to tell for this season' if there's been an impact, said Stephen Fine, president of Snowbird Advisor, a Toronto-based travel firm. Many snowbirds started heading south last October, before the 2024 U.S. presidential election was held. And, so far, he has seen 'little evidence of snowbirds heading back early.' Fine, a regular traveler to South Florida, said he is starting to hear some Canadian snowbirds say they won't return to Florida next winter. 'We won't have a good gauge until next season,' he said. But the signs are ominous, says Visit Lauderdale's Ritter. The number of Canadians saying they will skip the state 'is expected to grow over the coming months based upon what the Canadians are saying they will do.'
Miami Herald
31-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
‘People are canceling reservations.' Canadian tourists rethink Florida trips due to Trump
Canadian tourist Jacqueline Robert smiles and clutches her shoulders in a warm embrace in the courtyard of Richard's Motel in Hollywood. She looks a visitor in the eye and exclaims, 'The sun!' And on a toasty 80-degree morning in late March, in the courtyard of the Canadian-themed universe Richard Clavet has built for the French-Canadian community from Quebec, a glorious 'The sun!' says it all. A group of mostly French-speaking snowbirds, like Karen Hopper, 69, bounce in a pool for an Aqua Zumba class led by Canadian-American instructor Jennifer Morris. Couples, like Hopper and Gary Cherneski, 76, of Leamington, Ontario, met here, at this string of nearly 10 colorful Hollywood hotels and motels all bearing Clavet's first name. There's Richard's Hotel. Richard's Motel. Richard's Pet Friendly Motel. Richard's Motel Studios — all strung along South Federal Highway just south of Young Circle. But, this season, business is off, and there are fewer Canadians spending money in South Florida. The Trump administration's mercurial policies are creating tension and uncertainty. Threats of tariffs on Canadian products, talk of new registration requirements for Canadian travelers, or even annexing the country as the 51st state, are making many Canadians reevaluate if they want to spend their money in the United States. 'I got one guy that had a $1,000 deposit. You know for sure he's coming. He gave up his deposit,' Clavet said. 'And it's not like he decided not to come. But, just to protest, he said he was going to Cuba instead.' After years of growth, Canadian tourism in Florida is reversing course, tourism officials say and initial data indicate. Passenger arrivals from Canada at Miami International Airport are down this year, three weeks into March. Demand for flights from Canada to South Florida has fallen about 20% compared to a year ago. 'Visit Lauderdale is deeply concerned about potential travel restrictions on our tourism industry,' said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, Greater Fort Lauderdale's official marketing organization. The area annually gets about 1.1 million Canadian tourists, she noted. The intrusion of politics Canadians love South Florida from its beaches to boardrooms. Hotels and motels in Broward County at this time of the year usually brim with tourists from the United States' longtime ally to the north. This year, something is out of the ordinary. The Sunshine State, long a welcoming winter escape for Canadian sun worshippers like Robert, who hails from Saint-Jean in Quebec, is feeling the brunt. 'It's a strange time,' said Sophie Lalonde, chair of the Canada-Florida Business Council. 'We've always been friends,' but 'all of a sudden, Canadians are not welcome.' READ MORE: Prices on all vehicles 'will undoubtedly go up' after Trump auto tariffs, experts say Hollywood's Canadian community Clavet's South Florida enclave is worlds removed from the ostentatious White Lotus hotel chain of streaming television fame. But this mini-Canada in South Florida, and the global U.S.-Canada relationship, is facing a season's worth of high drama since President Donald Trump's second non-consecutive term to the White House began in January. His executive orders and domestic and international policy changes — including slapping a 25 percent tariff Wednesday on imported cars and car parts — have whipsawed Canada, Mexico and the European Union, traditional U.S. allies. The impact is felt in the community Clavet has built in Hollywood over 35 years. 'It's terrible,' said Clavet, 60. 'People are canceling reservations left and right. They're not booking. We should be super, super busy right now and we're just basically seeking American business,' he said. He adds the unthinkable: 'I think we need to give up on the Canadians.' Clavet, who arrived in Florida from Quebec in 1985, is torn. 'I would say my heart is on both sides of the border. I think it's terrible what's going on in Canada right now,' said Clavet, who opened his first motel in 1990. 'I guess it depends on how you're looking at things right now. Right now, there's like a mass movement from the Canadians and they're all identifying together as against the U.S. And they're cutting their flights coming down this way.' Clavet nods toward Roger Quesnel, a fit 84-year-old golfer seated in the motel's courtyard, chatting away with other Québécois. Quesnel is from Magog in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, and Clavet identifies him as his mother Nicole's 'lover.' 'Love-her,' Quesnel corrects, emphasizing the second syllable. Both men laugh. The French-only speakers among them don't understand the language but they recognize the mirth. They smile at the kinship. Most of Clavet's guests at the motel on this steamy March morning say they are staying — and coming back. Hopper and Cherneski are the rarities here. They are from Ontario but don't speak French. Nevertheless, for three years they've been coming to Richard's after fielding recommendations. Since 2012, they've wintered in South Florida seeking warmth, Cherneski said. She's semi-retired. He's retired. They've found a community here. 'The majority in this place are French. But it doesn't matter to us,' Hopper said, moments before splashing in the pool for Aqua Zumba. 'I just like how friendly everybody is to us. How accommodating they are to us even though there's a language barrier. We seem to get by. We've been here three months,' she said Thursday. 'We're going home Saturday.'' Concerned about the administration's new policies, they plan to abide by the new laws and return, they say. 'We're booked for next year. We see the same people. We come the same time every year and the same people are here. We've made lots of good friends here,' Hopper said. Quesnel, the golfer, has wintered in South Florida since the 1960s, living in condos on the ocean, condos on golf courses, condos 'everywhere,' he said. He'd come for visits with his late wife, who died in 1967, and always came back. Retired at 61, Quesnel has been traveling to Clavet's quirky Canadian community every winter for the eight years he's been dating the personable owner's Mom. He also comes to play golf at the nearby Orangebrook Golf and Country and dine at the Hollywood Flanigan's — both magnets for Canadian tourists, he said. At least, they were. 'This winter, we've seen less Canadians in both places,' Quesnel said. 'And the month of March, it really died. There's no wait if you want a table compared to the past years. In my activities, I see less French Canadians. Yeah, it's up to the jury to say. Of course, the low dollar is a very big percentage of that. 'Since November, I think that the political relationship is not too good to encourage Québécois to come down,' Quesnel said. 'My own son-in-law, I've been asking him four times to come down for a week, room and board included, and do the golf with me. There's no way he wants to come down here and spend money for Trump. 'God willing,' he'll brave it next year to stay at Richard's cozy rooms, Quesnel added. 'I'm 84 but I'm a real snowbird, as you define.' Concern for Broward tourism Broward tourism officials are increasingly worried not everyone will tough it out like Quesnel. 'Canada has long been one of our most valuable international markets, with Canadian visitors contributing significantly to our local economy, supporting thousands of jobs, and fueling our vibrant hospitality sector,' Ritter, the Visit Lauderdale president, wrote in an email to the Herald. They 'show great respect and love for our community' and 'their presence enriches our local culture,' she said. But Ritter is expecting her region to take a hit in the coming months. 'Our tourism industry thrives on open borders, accessibility and strong international relationships,' she said. Fewer flights When comparing airline schedules on March 25 against what they had planned for on Jan. 31, airlines flying between Canada and MIA reduced seat capacity 13% in April, 17% in May and 15% in June. The reductions are even bigger for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: an 18% drop in seat capacity in April, 19% less in May and a 25% decrease in June. That's according to data by Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Nationally, the number of flights from Canada to the U.S. are also down, though not as much as the Florida traffic: an average of 4.4% fewer seats in April, May and June. Through March 23, 5,405 fewer travelers had arrived on flights to MIA from Canada — a 4% decline from the same period in 2024, according to Greg Chin, communications director for Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Local businesses have witnessed the decline. Francois Grenier has owned the Dania Beach Dairy Belle since his parents started the charming eatery in the area in 1998. Dairy Belle caters to French-Canadian tourists with its menu mix of Canadian favorites like poutine along with cheeseburgers, hot dogs and ice cream specialties. Grenier, a Canadian-American who has lived in the U.S. for 33 years, found a busy location at the Meadowbrook Square mall five years ago at 312 E. Dania Beach Blvd. 'The current economic situation, especially with the Canadian dollar being very weak, a lot of Canadians are not coming as long or they're not coming at all. So we've seen a little decline, but nothing drastic,' he said. 'But it was a little bit slower this year,' he added, citing several factors: the political situation, falling Canadian dollar, and Florida's rising costs. 'The cost of living here in Florida, the rentals, all of that went up. I'm not worried because we have a very stable business. We do target the Canadians in the winter months. But we have our local clientele in the summer.' Danny Hamas, who until 15 years ago ran the eatery Pôle Nord on the Hollywood Broadwalk, has seen business slip this season at the Canadian-themed Mammy's Cantine food truck he's run on Clavet's property since selling his Broadwalk restaurant. The blistering reports on television news has stoked fears on both sides of the North American continent. 'It's slow,' he said, as he dished a plate of poutine to a customer outside the window of his food truck. 'The TV news is no good. The people, they don't want to come.' Canada and Florida's ties Canada was the state's number one source of foreign tourists for the past two years. In 2023, about 3.2 million Canadians visited the Sunshine State, a 20% increase from 2022, outpacing the 18% growth rate the rest of the world provided. That growth continued into 2024. Preliminary data shows 3.3 million Canadians visited Florida last year, up by 1.2% compared to 2023. All state data comes from Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing arm. The increase is significant because although the number of visitors was 20% less than 2019 levels, 'this marks the closest that Canadian visitation has come to pre-pandemic levels,' Visit Florida wrote in a Feb. 14 report. In some ways, the damage from reduced Canadian interest is not yet evident. In the fourth quarter of 2024, about 742,000 Canadians visited the state, a 6.7% increase from the fourth quarter of 2023. That was part of a record high – 33.1 million - fourth-quarter tourists in the state, according to Visit Florida. But that was before President Trump took office on Jan. 20. And Canadians enjoy Miami-Dade County as well. About 296,000 Canadians spent at least one night in the area in 2023, 18% more than in 2022, according to the Greater Miami Convention Center & Visitors Bureau. The number of Canadians trailed only Colombia and Brazil. The organization did not have figures for 2024. Business travel affected The tourism decline is spilling over to the business traveler. The Canada Florida Chamber of Commerce held a long-planned event in Miami-Dade County in late March. The group, which promotes trade and investment between the two places, scheduled a trade mission to coincide with eMerge Americas, three days ahead of eMerge's annual conference on March 27-28. The trade mission was supposed to help Canadian businesses expand in Florida or Canadian investors find promising start-ups in AI, robotics, and the defense industry. CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs were coming from Canada. Yet, many changed their minds at the last minute. About 20 Canadians still came but at least another 15 who signed up pulled out, said Lalonde, chair of the Canada-Florida Business Council and an organizer of the trade mission. 'A lot of people with strong interest called and asked to have their names be taken off [the trip],' she said. That included some who own property in Florida and have long-standing ties to the state. Worries about next year 'It's too hard to tell for this season' if there's been an impact, said Stephen Fine, president of Snowbird Advisor, a Toronto-based travel firm. Many snowbirds started heading south last October, before the 2024 U.S. presidential election was held. And, so far, he has seen 'little evidence of snowbirds heading back early.' Fine, a regular traveler to South Florida, said he is starting to hear some Canadian snowbirds say they won't return to Florida next winter. 'We won't have a good gauge until next season,' he said. But the signs are ominous, says Visit Lauderdale's Ritter. The number of Canadians saying they will skip the state 'is expected to grow over the coming months based upon what the Canadians are saying they will do.'
CBS News
24-03-2025
- CBS News
Spring break surges in South Florida as tourists flock to Fort Lauderdale
Spring break is in full swing across South Florida and early signs indicate a surge in tourism, particularly in Fort Lauderdale. According to AAA booking data, both Fort Lauderdale and Miami rank among the top 10 spring break destinations this year. Visit Lauderdale, the official tourism agency for Greater Fort Lauderdale, said overnight stays are seeing a notable increase, fueled in part by social media trends. For many young travelers, viral posts have played a major role in choosing Fort Lauderdale as their destination. "It's all over social media," said Luke, a college student from Michigan. "Really? Everyone's talking about Fort Lauderdale on social media?" CBS News Miami asked. "Everybody is, especially TikTok," added Brian, another Michigan college student. From ocean views to lively beachside attractions, students said they're drawn to the vibrant atmosphere. "We're having a good time so far," Brian said. "A lot of stuff around here to do—the strip, a bunch of restaurants and bars." Even high school seniors from colder states are taking advantage of the warm weather before heading to college. "All the spring breakers, all the kids," said Kayla, visiting from Michigan. "It's definitely popular," added her friend Lilly. "Walking the beach, going to the shops, going downtown." Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said this year's crowds far exceed those of recent years, with visitors filling beaches, restaurants and hotels. "The message got out there and the weather's been great," Trantalis said. With thousands more visitors, the city has ramped up police presence and first responders to ensure safety while businesses reap the benefits. "It's an investment in our community," Trantalis emphasized. "It's an investment in tourism." Meanwhile, Miami Beach has imposed restrictions on spring break crowds, a move Fort Lauderdale businesses said has sent even more visitors their way. "South of us, they have really encouraged spring breakers not to come," said Amy Faulkner, Director of Sales for The Atlantic Hotel & Spa. "We thank you. We really have been benefiting." Faulkner said the hotel is completely booked for spring break and Easter for the first time since the pandemic. Visit Lauderdale reports that hotel demand is up compared to last year, though the full economic impact of the season won't be known until after spring break ends.
