Overview
- Visit Florida reported a second straight quarterly decline in Q2 2026 with 34.01 million visitors and 73.5 million for the first half of the year, down 0.7% and 1.4% versus 2025.
- Canadian arrivals to Florida weakened sharply with about 721,000 visitors in Q2 2026 (down 4.2% year‑over‑year) and 1.68 million in H1 2026 (down 13.9%), well below pre‑pandemic levels.
- Statistics Canada and University of Toronto research show a broader pullback by Canadians from U.S. travel, with border crossings and visits down sharply in 2025 and early 2026, signaling a persistent shift in travel patterns.
- Analysts and officials link the drop to rising U.S.–Canada trade tensions, recent tariffs and President Trump’s rhetoric, while Florida economists point to inflation outpacing wages and greater reliance on credit as additional demand restraints.
- States hit hardest by Canadian declines, including New York and Nevada, have launched targeted campaigns and sales missions to try to regain Canadian tourists because lost habits risk lasting market share and local spending declines.