As political tensions continue to be high, Canadian travelers will evade Central Florida forecasts are becoming a reality, hotel bookings will drop, and airlines shrink flights to cope with lower demand.
Sandra Pappas, who owns a Disney-centric travel agency in Canada, said she began to notice the downturn in February. At that time, President Donald Trump released threats to impose comprehensive tariffs and make the country the 51st state.
“Unfortunately, there is a huge drop, more time spent on future travel.” “Aside from Covid, it’s quieter than we’ve seen.”
She estimated that the travel quote requirements for Orlando theme parks had dropped by more than 50%. To accommodate, her business is hudging, starting with other Disney-themed holidays such as Disneyland Paris and Disney Cruises.
The impact may be huge. According to state travel figures, about 3.3 million Canadians visited Florida in 2024, making it the largest source of international tourists, accounting for about 2% of the total number of travelers.
However, this year, the booking rate for Canadians in Central Florida fell 9% in April, compared with a 35.1% in May, according to the region’s tourism marketing agency Tive Orlando.
“I Will Miss Visiting My American Friends”: Canadians Are Angry at Trump’s Threat, Rethinking Florida Travel
Casandra Matej, CEO of Orlando, attributed Canada’s travel demand to the country’s weaker dollar and economic slowdown, as well as Trump’s tariff announcement.
Orlando’s overall visitor numbers have remained strong so far, but the volatility of the travel outlook in the stock market and uncertainty about Trump’s trade agenda has become blurred. Still, Orange County hotel tax revenue hit record highs in February’s record and accessed April and May booking data when considering all visitors. Universal Studios plans to open in May, the first new theme park in the Orlando area in the 25s, is strengthening those numbers.
“While we’re seeing slowdowns in Canada, we’re still seeing continued interest and bookings in other markets,” Matej said. “As one market slows down, there are opportunities in other markets.”
Canadian travel statistics also show that visits from the country to the United States have declined. In March, Canadians traveling home from the United States fell by 13.5% compared with the same month last year. Cars’ return trips were down by nearly 32%.
Governor Ron DeSantis insists Canadians will continue to visit. Earlier this month, he dismissed reports that Trump’s backlash would keep them away, noting that he met many Canadians d
“I thought, ‘I thought you guys weren’t coming to Florida anymore.’ “Oh no, we love Florida. “So we will continue to be destinations,” he recalls.
But Toronto-based immigration attorney Ravi Jain said that’s not what he heard. He said avoiding travel to the United States has become a national pride for Canadians.
“They were dissatisfied with some of the president’s comments. … They certainly don’t want to post to their friends on social media, ‘Hey, I went on a vacation in Florida.'” he said.
Canadian immigration lawyers say that in high-profile reports that Canadian and European tourists were detained or deported as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, fear is driving some declines.
The actions of officials from both countries also prevent Canadian tourists from looking south.
The Canadian government’s travel advice to the United States has been updated, warning Canadians to “expect to check in entry ports, including electronic devices.” Border agents have the right to search phones and laptops, but officials keep such actions extremely rare, and 0.01% of international tourists are subject to such scrutiny.
The search was conducted to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content and information related to visitor acceptability, “all of which plays a crucial role in national security,” Hilton Beckham, Assistant Commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.
“The accusation of political beliefs triggering inspections or evacuation is unfounded,” Beckham said.
Heather Segal, founder of Toronto’s Segal immigration law, said a new rule requires Canadian visitors to register for more than 30 days with the U.S. government may also affect snowbirds that spend the winter in Florida.
There are no abnormalities and travelers will automatically register when flying to the United States. But some travelers who may not issue off-road borders from Canada may need to register themselves and if they don’t do so, they could face serious penalties, including a fine of $5,000 or a prison up to six months, Segar said.
“The message sent to Canadians is, ‘We are not interested in you.’ We are no longer the best friends.’
The airline is responding. Air Canada plans to reduce the frequency of flights between Orlando and Toronto. Another Canadian airline, WestJet, suspended a route between Edmonton and Orlando.
“WestJet has observed routes between Canada and the United States to Canada and other sun destinations, such as Mexico and the Caribbean and Europe,” said airline spokesman Josh Yeats.
But Air Canada has not given up on the Orlando market. Porter Airlines’ ability to Orlando continues to remain unchanged, and early bookings for summer trips are also increasing, spokesman Robyn van Teunennbroek said. Flair Airlines plans to resume winter seasonal routes in October between Orlando and Toronto and nearby Kitchener-Waterloo.
“Oh no, we love Florida”: DeSantis refutes the idea that Canadians will stay away from the state
Sean Snaith, an economist at Central Florida University, said he is monitoring the impact of tariffs and federal layoffs on the wider U.S. economy. He said the recession had a much greater impact on the tourism industry than the Canadian travel boycott.
Sness said his optimistic Canadians will return once political speech wanes and emotions fade.
“It’s still cold in Canada,” he said. “How much do you want to punish yourself because you’re angry at what politicians do?”
Pappas said she is providing cases to potential clients, and Walt Disney World is the ideal place to get rid of politics and news.
“Once you get into those park gates, you forget everything,” she said. “I think people should still go. Walt’s vision is to escape the world and head to Disney World.”