The low Canadian dollar hasn’t gone unnoticed by Florida tourism and travel officials. But, so far, Canadians don’t seem to be staying home.
Open Jaw caught up with several Sunshine State tourism types this week at the annual Florida Huddle tourism event, which is being held at the lovely – and immense - World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
One major hotel operator in the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area said Canada is an important market, “but I understand how price could be a factor for Canadians” given the lowly loonie.
Steve Grimes, head of marketing for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, said he’s aware of the Canadian dollar’s struggles, but that it’s relatively early in the winter season.
“I’m still seeing a lot of Ontario license plates,” he told Open Jaw.
“We know about the tariff situation and the Canadian dollar, but it’s just too soon to know the impact,” one theme park representative said.
Visit Florida president and CEO Dana Young, who’s retiring on 07FEB, said Florida tourism has seen the Canadian dollar rise and fall drastically over the years, but that north-of-the-border visitors keep coming.
The latest statistics from Visit Florida show that 3.822 million Canadian visited the state in 2023, up a solid 45% from 2022. Full-year stats for Canadian visits in 2024 aren’t yet available, but officials said there were roughly 2.7 million visits from Canada in the first nine months of the year.
Stats show there were 8.31 million overseas visits (those don’t include Canada or Mexico) in 2024, up from 7.02 million in 2023.
MICHELIN MARKS
Visit Florida on 04FEB announced that the Michelin guide for restaurants, previously available only for Tampa, Miami and Orlando, will be expanded next year to include food options in Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete/Clearwater; all popular spots for Canadians on holiday.
The Michelin program will go statewide in 2026, allowing smaller destinations who might not ordinarily get rated to potentially get exposure to foodies around the world.
“It’s a huge win for our tourism industry,” Young said. “We’re one of the most diverse culinary destinations in the country.”
“This will really help us elevate our food scene,” said Erick Garnica, Vice President Global Leisure Sales for The Palm Beaches.
“It’s a great marketing tool to tell the world about our restaurants,” said Grimes. “St. Pete/Clearwater is known for our beaches, and there’s not always a connection between the beach and fine dining.”
A WARM WELCOME
Delegates to Florida Huddle and Florida Encounter (an event for meeting planners) were welcomed with a fine, outdoor reception on 03FEB, with good food, excellent wine and an appearance by Ocala’s famous Clydesdale horses (which are enormous, by the way).
This year’s Huddle and Encounter events are being held at the World Equestrian Center, a massive facility in the heart of Florida horse country that includes more than 2,000 stables, outdoor rings for equestrian events and indoor, climate-controlled facilities that allow events to be held in summer.
If your clients are looking for a different way to explore Florida, Ocala is an interesting option.
The World Equestrian Center plans to add a new, large events space later this year, which will only increase its attractiveness in the MICE market. The Equestrian Hotel is quite striking and has a lovely swimming pool while the Riding Academy Hotel is a bit more casual.
The Ocala area is a charming one with natural springs that often feature manatees in winter, as well as vast nature parks. The downtown features handsome brick buildings and lively bars and restaurants.
