Tough Times for U.S. Tourism Doesn’t Deter Florida; A Chat With the New Visit Florida Boss

It’s not the easiest time to sell a U.S. destination in Canada. But Visit Florida folks are a determined bunch.

The new head of the group charged with boosting tourism to the Sunshine State, Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin, was in Toronto this week to chat about the state’s ongoing efforts to keep Canadian travellers heading south.

I sat down with him for a one-on-one chat that covered off everything from lesser-known corners of the state to explore to Michelin restaurants. And, of course, the ongoing problem of diminished Canadian visitation to Florida.

“This is part of my regular opportunity to go to the markets that are most important to Florida,” he told me at a downtown Toronto hotel, where the outdoor swimming pool is still closed for the winter.

Griffin said visits from Canada are down, falling from 3.4 million two years ago to 2.9 million last year. That’s a drop of 15%. But he said Florida’s share of the U.S. market for Canadian visitation is up from 16.8% in 2024 to 19.8% last year.

“When Canadians are travelling to the U.S., they’re choosing Florida in greater numbers,” Griffin said. “We still had nearly three million Canadian visitors in 2025.”

Griffin met with Canadian airlines during his visit to Canada this week, and said they remain bullish on his state. He noted that several Canadian airlines, including Porter and Air Transat, are adding to their Florida schedules in the anticipation of more visitors from Canada.

“Florida has a lot to offer,” said Griffin, a Tampa resident who was married in the same church as his parents and grandparents. “Where else can you go sit on the beach and watch an historic space launch?”

(He’s certainly right about that. I was in New Smyrna Beach several years ago and was surprised when a rocket suddenly took off from nearby Cape Canaveral, much to the delight of folks who had dashed out of a nearby beach bar to see it live.)

“Canadians really love the Gulf beaches, and we also have them parks and unique nature experiences.”

The Tampa Bay Area and St. Pete/Clearwater are home to several outstanding beaches. The Toronto Blue Jays also make their spring training home in Dunedin, a delightful gulf coast town I’ve been visiting for more than 30 years.

Some U.S. states have pulled back from marketing in Canada given the political/trade tensions between the two countries, but Griffin said Florida is keeping its foot on the gas pedal.

In addition to meeting with airline partners this week, Griffin also met with travel agents and tour operators.

“I think people appreciate that we’ve been here (in Canada) all along,” he told me. “Part of our job is to help people understand what’s new in the state and help members of the industry become experts on Florida.

“We’ve already trained 1,500 advisors this year.”

Given the low Canadian dollar, Griffin said he also is encouraging Visit Florida partners to be very “value forward” in their offerings, whether those be hotels, restaurants, or attractions. “Florida has tons of Canada-specific opportunities, and we encourage our partners to offer those.”

Various destination marketing agencies that push tourism to specific regions of the state, such as Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, also have deals on their websites, he said.

Griffin said the new Visit Florida campaign, Live More Floridays, is aimed at Gen X and Millenial families and positions Florida as a place with not only theme parks, but also “diverse, authentic experiences.”

Surprising nature experiences abound in Florida, including the ability to swim with gentle manatees in Crystal River and to paddle warm, freshwater springs in north-central Florida. There are also tranquil, uncrowded islands to explore and superb state parks up and down the state.

Art and culture lovers flock every year to Miami for Art Basel. Florida also boasts some of the best museums in the U.S.,  including the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

Griffin highlighted a few areas of the state during our chat, including Fort Myers and both Sanibel and Captiva Islands, which are pretty much fully recovered from the hurricane damage they suffered in the fall of 2024. He also said visitors should check out the brilliant, white sand beaches around Destin and Fort Walton in the Florida panhandle.

I’ve spent some time in and around Panama City Beach, which has wonderful beaches and good food, as well as the historic town of Apalachicola, which has a wonderful downtown and has fabulous islands to explore, including St. George Island.

I also had a fabulous visit to Anna Maria Island and Bradenton a a year ago, as well as a couple of terrific days in Sarasota.

Griffin also has spent considerable time enjoying the quiet beauty of the Everglades in south Florida, where you’ll find amazing bird life and calm waters that are ideal for canoeing or kayaking.

As everyone knows, Florida remains the theme park capital of the world. Griffin said there have been great additions to Disney properties, including new Star Wars rides, as well as Universal Epic Universe at Universal Studios. Legoland also has a new, indoor roller coaster, the Galacticoaster. 

There also are more than 100 hotels under construction in the Sunshine State, giving return visitors more places to stay and explore.

Food has become a major attraction in Florida, with six communities (Tampa, St. Pete/Clearwater, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and The Palm Beaches) now included in the Michelin Guide.

Sports remains a huge draw for visitors to Florida, with Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA and NFL teams in the state, as well as Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League.

Griffin said travel agents and other interested parties should log onto visitfloridamedia.com for more information.