WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Canadians are flocking back to Florida in near-record numbers. Following nearly three years of declining numbers, Canadian visits to Florida are very nearly back to 2019 levels, tourism officials have announced. Speaking to media at this year’s Florida Huddle tourism event in West Palm Beach, VISIT FLORIDA executives said a surge in Canadian visits to the Sunshine State last fall resulted in 1.04 million visits from Canada. That’s just 4.5% below the fourth quarter figure of 1.09 million for 2019. It’s also the first quarter since the start of the pandemic that saw Florida attract Read more
Visit Florida
VISIT FLORIDA invites Canadian travelers back to the Sunshine State. As impacted communities in Southwest Florida recover, VISIT FLORIDA has resumed its marketing initiatives in Canada highlighting the unaffected areas that are open and ready to welcome visitors from around the country. Tourism is Florida’s number one industry, contributing billions of dollars annually to the state’s economy. As Florida’s official tourism marketing corporation, VISIT FLORIDA plays a vital role in the state’s crisis response and recovery efforts, and communicating that Florida’s cities and regions including Clearwater, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Pensacola and Tampa are eager to welcome travelers. VISIT FLORIDA Read more
“It was a long time coming, but we’re thrilled to be back.” VISIT FLORIDA held their first tourism event in Canada in more than three years on Thursday, Sept. 15, taking over the 43rd floor Sky Suite at the posh Bisha Hotel during the middle of the Toronto International Film Festival. “This is our first visit to Canada since June of 2019,” Meagan Dougherty Lowe, public relations director for VISIT FLORIDA, said in a one-on-one chat during a break in the reception. “It’s so great to be back.” Representatives from The Florida Keys, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Discover Read more
Florida state tourism officials concede it’s been a rough go with the Omicron variant, but they’re optimistic that Canadians and other visitors will soon be heading south. According to the News Service of Florida and the Tampa Bay Times, Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said Wednesday that her group continues to market the Sunshine State as a winter destination in the U.S., and that they’re not slowing international efforts. Florida state economists last month slightly lowered expectations through the middle of 2022 for Canadian and overseas travellers, citing the Omicron variant as a potential brake on tourism growth. Read more
