Trade tensions mean fewer Canadians flocking to South Florida

Richard Clavet sits outside at one of a string of Canadian-themed hotels and motels he owns along South Federal Highway in Hollywood, Fla., on March 27, 2025. Clavet is from Quebec and has served Canadian clientele for years. Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption

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Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Beside the palm trees on the campus of Richard's Motel in Hollywood, Fla., are a life-size fiberglass Canadian moose and signs welcoming Canadians. Typically, fall weather brings a community of French Canadians to the property, which owner Richard Clavet has nicknamed "Little Quebec."

But Clavet, a Quebec native himself, said the trade war between the United States and Canada that began last year brought a flurry of cancellations. Some guests feigned illness. But one caller was blunt, blaming politics.

Clavet tried to talk him into coming.

"You have a $1,000 deposit already paid, you know — you're turning that down if you're not coming. At least postpone it or do something," Clavet recalled telling the guest.

Clavet said the caller replied, "No, I'm not going in the U.S. anymore."

A sign indicating that French is spoken hangs outside Richard's Hotel in Hollywood, Fla., on Feb. 10. Karen Hopper, on vacation from Quebec, enjoys the weather poolside at the hotel. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The United States has long been Canadians' top travel destination, according to data from the Canadian government.

But tensions over trade deals brought a noticeable drop in visitors, one that is acutely felt in this South Florida community.

On top of the trade disputes, a weak Canadian dollar and new screening and identification requirements at the U.S.-Canada border also played a role.

By the summer of 2025, Clavet got worried. He began hosting free parties and bingo games to generate buzz. Then he saturated his social media with images of Canadians having a great time at those events.

It paid off, he said, and this year's bookings are strong.

"This year I've got a lot of them coming in October," Clavet said. "I'm, like, a little freaking out — it's too many."

Clavet walks past a statue of a moose he brought from Canada and put on display at one of the Canadian-themed hotels and motels he owns. Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption

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Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

That's not the case down the street at the Curtis Inn & Suites, where owner Jay Gandhi said he worries about this year's snowbird season, which can start as early as October and can last until April. Gandhi said he would typically have 60 to 70 Canadian guests during the snowbird season. Last year, that dropped to 50, and this year he's expecting about 30 guests.

The decline in visitors from the Great White North is also reflected in the number of nonstop flights between Canada and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. According to Visit Lauderdale, Broward County's official marketing arm, the number of flights declined beginning in April of last year, with flights down about 7% for that year and nearly 9% in the first six months of 2026.

That tracks with a survey last year by the website Snowbird Advisor, which offers resources for Canadians who travel abroad. It polled some 4,000 members and found a 12-percentage-point decline in the number who planned to spend the 2025-2026 winter season in the United States.

Meanwhile, Snowbird Advisor President Stephen Fine said he has seen an uptick in travel to other countries.

"We're seeing an increasing number of snowbirds going to Central America," he said. "We're also seeing growth in the Caribbean."

For now, Fine said, the United States is still Canadian snowbirds' top travel destination.

People enjoy the beach and boardwalk on Feb. 10 in Hollywood, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption