Fact check: Has Canadian tourism to Florida dropped by 80 percent?

Flags wave in the wind near the Detroit River which separates Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, Michigan, US, February 4, 2025 [File: Carlos Osorio/Reuters]

Canadians have long spent wintertime in Florida, trading in frigid temperatures for the Sunshine State’s sunny beaches and spending money in restaurants and hotels that cater to Canadian tourists.

But President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions targeting Canada have given some Canadians pause about spending money in the United States. Trump has repeatedly said Canada should become the 51st US state, called then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “governor” and enacted substantial tariffs.