Fewer Canadians have been flocking to Florida in recent years -- a trend the Sunshine State is hoping to reverse by offering discounts to visitors from north of the border.
Florida Governor Rick Scott visited Toronto’s Union Station, to announce a new program for Canadians that includes 20 per cent discounts on airfare, rental cars and lodging. The price breaks are available through VisitFlorida.ca.
Twenty-six businesses are participating in the program. Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations will also offer discounts.
“We want to make sure that all Canadians believe they are getting a good value if they come to Florida,” Scott told reporters on Wednesday.
Foreign tourism is a mainstay of Florida’s economy, which is the fourth largest among U.S. states. The tourism sector alone supports 1.4 million jobs.
Hurricane Irma battered thousands of businesses in the region earlier this year, heightening anticipation for an influx of vacation spending from abroad this winter.
Canada topped the list of nations whose residents travelled to Florida last year, accounting for more than 3.3 million visits, according to statistics compiled by Visit Florida. That’s nearly as many as the combined total from the next three countries on the list -- the U.K., Brazil and Argentina.
However, 2016 saw the number of Canadian tourists slide by 12 per cent.
“For the last 15 quarters, we noticed they (Canadians) have declined,” Visit Florida President Ken Lawson told CTV Toronto. “Back in 2013, we had about 4.1 million Canadians come down.”
The 20 per cent discounts fall short of eliminating the current rate of exchange against the greenback. The loonie closed at US$0.78 on Wednesday.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Pat Foran
