By Miami Herald Archives, with AI summarization
Fewer Canadian tourists are coming to South Florida due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, possible travel registration and even talk of annexing the country as the 51st state. The issues are making many Canadians rethink spending their money in the United States. And that’s hurting airlines and the Broward County tourism industry.
Here are the highlights:
▪ Flights: The political climate, including potential tariffs and travel restrictions, has strained the historically strong relationship between Canada and Florida, leading to a 20% drop in demand for flights from Canada to South Florida compared to the previous year.
▪ Arriving travelers: Passenger arrivals from Canada at Miami International Airport have decreased by 4% through March 23, with 5,405 fewer travelers compared to the same period in 2024.
▪ Plane seats: Airlines have reduced seat capacity between Canada and Miami International Airport by 13% in April, 17% in May, and 15% in June, indicating a significant drop in demand for flights. 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, according to data by Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
▪ Tourists: The region annually receives about 1.1 million Canadian tourists, whose absence could significantly impact the local economy, according to Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale.
▪ Restaurants: Local businesses, such as Dairy Belle restaurant and ice cream parlor in Dania Beach, have experienced a slowdown, with owner Francois Grenier noting a slight decline in Canadian customers due to the weak Canadian dollar and rising costs in Florida.
▪ Business: The tourism decline is affecting business travel, with about 15 Canadian executives canceling their participation in a trade mission to Florida, impacting economic ties between the regions.
▪ Looking ahead: While the full impact is yet to be seen, tourism officials anticipate further declines, with Visit Florida reporting that Canadian visitation was 20% less than 2019 levels, although it had been recovering to near pre-pandemic levels before the recent downturn. The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Miami Herald journalists.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article303156716.html#storylink=cpy
