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Sancho

(9,122 posts)
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 08:34 AM Feb 9

Florida depends on Canadian visitors. Will Trump's trade war turn them away?

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/02/08/florida-depends-canadian-visitors-will-trumps-trade-war-could-turn-them-away-column/


Canadians account for the most international visits to the United States. A 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Florida could take the hardest hit, given that more Canadians visit our state than any other. In fact, more than a quarter of Florida’s international visitors come from Canada, the most of any country, according to VisitFlorida, the state’s tourism marketing arm.

The tourism outlook will worsen if the talk turns to action and the two countries slap each other with heavy tariffs. By some estimates, President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and the expected Canadian retaliation would shrink Canada’s economy by more than 2%. That might not sound like much, but it’s enough to cast a financial gloom over the country. Gloomy residents don’t vacation as much.

Unlike regular tourists, most of the seasonal snowbirds are already here. They usually start coming in November and December and stay until April. Many of them drive to Florida. They come yearly, own property in Florida or have signed rental leases. They have roots here. They might not like Trump’s latest salvo, but they aren’t likely to pack their cars and head home now.

Florida’s near-endless sunshine, 75-degree winter days and gorgeous beaches are hard to pass up. Kids also care much more about meeting Disney’s Mickey Mouse and exploring Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter than the international trade of soybeans or car parts. Those advantages aren’t going away. How will they hold up against the fallout from a potentially heated trade war? We’ll know soon.


9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Florida depends on Canadian visitors. Will Trump's trade war turn them away? (Original Post) Sancho Feb 9 OP
We shall see..... Lovie777 Feb 9 #1
They sure aren't happy with us... 2naSalit Feb 9 #2
The answer is yes. mwmisses4289 Feb 9 #3
God, wouldn't that be awesome! lark Feb 9 #4
The ones that I know who live here in FL are selling their homes and moving back to Canada. maptap22 Feb 9 #5
Not just Canada, we all should boycott Florida kansasobama Feb 9 #6
I wonder if South Carolina will be affected, too? Alliepoo Feb 9 #7
Likely. CAN-AM Days in March unc70 Feb 9 #9
I sure the fuck hope so. Aristus Feb 9 #8

2naSalit

(95,959 posts)
2. They sure aren't happy with us...
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 08:48 AM
Feb 9

Last night one of our college Basketball teams was in BC for a game but only half the team was there as the rest were not allowed in due to passport problems?

The ref weren't calling all the fouls and the home team players played super rough. But they LOST!

It wasn't major but you could see there was some animosity there. Our guys played really well given there was no replacement bench and two of the best shooters were not there.

Hope this ends soon.

mwmisses4289

(668 posts)
3. The answer is yes.
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 09:31 AM
Feb 9

Have seen several articles from Canadian news sources indicating some Canadians are reconsidering or refusing to visit the US on.

lark

(24,657 posts)
4. God, wouldn't that be awesome!
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 09:52 AM
Feb 9

Hurt both Death Sentence and Disney for folding in their war with right wing ideology.

kansasobama

(1,692 posts)
6. Not just Canada, we all should boycott Florida
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 10:19 AM
Feb 9

We have to realize that any success Trump gets, our democracy suffers. Once the path to fascism is laid, there is no coming back without a big revolution. Only way to change course is a tanking economy in red states. That still is not sufficient the way our fucking Constitution is written. But, it is worth a try. Otherwise. our country is breaking up in the next 100 years.

All youngsters who overflow sports arenas need to be protesting Trump thugs. I hope Trump Chiefs. Mahomes, and Butler lose today. Mahomes proud to play in front of Trump sounds like a subject bowing to a dictator king.

Alliepoo

(2,669 posts)
7. I wonder if South Carolina will be affected, too?
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 10:24 AM
Feb 9

I don’t have any statistics to offer but I remember the Canadian flag being flown alongside the US flag at the big oceanfront hotels and condos and seeing plenty of Canadian license plates on cars. I figured our neighbors up north were flocking to warmer climes with sunshine and palm trees while saving themselves additional hours of travel to FL.

unc70

(6,366 posts)
9. Likely. CAN-AM Days in March
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 11:24 AM
Feb 9

Myrtle Beach has heavily marketed itself to Canadians since about 1960, focusing on their spring breaks in March when the beach was still too cold for most Americans. For a long time, many MB businesses would accept Canadian dollars for payments at a 1-1 exchange rate; this was when the Cdn$ was worth around $0.90 US.

I expect MB will notice a downturn fairly soon. The MB area is even more GOP voting than most of SC.

Aristus

(69,331 posts)
8. I sure the fuck hope so.
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 11:17 AM
Feb 9

Why Canadians, or anyone else, actually, would want to visit that pestilential hellhole is beyond me.

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