Some Canadians who are used to spending their winters in balmy Florida are now giving the Sunshine State the cold shoulder — seemingly causing a ripple effect for businesses and areas used to the tourism.
This all comes as President Donald Trump and his administration crack down on immigration, including tightening up policies for Canadian visitors, and tariffs being imposed.
Why some Canadian 'snowbirds' aren't coming to U.S.
WUSF previously reported earlier this month that Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting for longer than 30 days must register with the U.S. government. The registration will then determine if someone will need a biometric appointment to be fingerprinted.
Any failure to comply with registration or being fingerprinted could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment up to six months, or both, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
ALSO READ: Canadian 'snowbirds' in the U.S. will soon face a new registration policy
All these components have made the Sunshine State not seem as welcoming a place to spend the winter for some Canadians.
On "The Florida Roundup," former Toronto Star staff columnist and Blue Jays fan Tim Harper told host Matthew Peddie that the hesitancy also derives from feeling disrespected by President Trump after he talked about the country becoming the 51st state and called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "Governor Trudeau."
"As an individual Canadian, there's very few things you can do. You can buy Canadian, which much of the country is, or you can refuse to spend your hard-earned tourism dollars in a country that's showing you such disrespect," Harper said.
Harper used to come to Florida during the spring, as the Toronto Blue Jays train in Dunedin. But he and others have decided to stay put this year.
"I don't know anybody in my circle who's traveling to the United States except for when they have to for business or if they have family," Harper said. "We made a decision, the group that I'm part of that seems to be taken throughout the country."
He added that he feels there are a couple of differences for Canada and its relationship with America during Trump's second term compared to his first. One of the ways is that his second term has galvanized Canada into a show of patriotism, Harper said.
"Being told that your country need not exist and that you'd be better off as a state is quite a catalyst for what's called here an 'elbows up movement' to fight back and protect your country and your sovereignty," he said.
Harper also added that he feels there are fewer guardrails for President Trump this time around.
"There's a fear that he's not just blowing smoke when what he's talking about is something serious," Harper said.
Impact on Florida's businesses, tourism
Florida is historically a popular tourist destination — particularly with Canadians escaping the cold. According to data from the state tourism marketing agency Visit Florida, about 3.3 million Canadians visited the state in 2024. That's up a little over 1% from 2023 but down 20% from 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year.
However, decisions not to come to America have seemingly already had a ripple effect on the Sunshine State this year, with one of the examples being the hospitality industry.
Richard Clavet, from Quebec, has been running Richard's Motel in Hollywood, Florida, for more than 30 years. His motel caters to many Canadians coming to the area. Clavet said on "The Florida Roundup" that he's seen an increase in Canadians canceling their reservations.
"Some were quite frank that it was the political situation between the U.S. and Canada," Clavet said about the customers' reasons for canceling. "They're blaming Trump — being on the phone with some people canceling because they don't feel safe driving down here in the U.S."
Clavet said that to him, the notion of a fight between Canada and the U.S. isn't really present in South Florida, but that the concept is having fewer people come to his motel. He described how he recently had a "good reservation" cancel on him.
"The guy had like a $1,000 deposit paid in advance, and he canceled," Clavet recalled. "The guy told me he's going to Cuba!"
Clavet explained how many customers are worried, particularly about going back to Canada.
"They are like nervous, but to me, there's nothing to be worried about," he said. "There's a lot of panic."
Clavet said that the COVID-19 pandemic was worse in terms of business, but that he feels for a lot of Americans in other areas of the country that rely heavily on Canadian visitors.
"Things will get better, but we're in I guess, for a few months it's going to be rough," Clavet said.
Uncertain tourism future
But for some Canadians, it may be longer than a few months before they feel comfortable visiting America. Harper explained how many people wanted to visit Florida this year but decided to stick it out in the cold weather to make a statement.
"It was a brutal winter here, we wanted to go," Harper told Peddie about visiting Florida this spring. "We took a political stance, but man, we wanted to somehow find a reason to go."
Harper said he's already canceled a trip for the summer and that there's a sense in Canada that this trend of avoiding travel to America may last for the next four years.
"I don't know when I'm going to next go back to the U.S.," he said. "I lived in the U.S. for six years, I traveled extensively throughout the country. I just don't know when I'm going to feel comfortable going back."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "The Florida Roundup."
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