Florida visitation fell for a second straight quarter, with Canadian visitors down nearly 14% through the first half of 2026, according to Visit Florida data reported Sunday, Aug. 24. The decline hits close to home: Canada is the top international source market for the St. Pete-Clearwater area, and those visitors tend to fill beach hotels during the slower months when domestic travelers stay away.

An estimated 1.68 million Canadians visited Florida from January through June, down 13.9% from the same period in 2025. That figure remains roughly 27% below the 2.29 million who came during the first half of 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year.

Overall, Florida drew 73.5 million visitors in the first six months of 2026, a 1.4% decline from a year earlier. Domestic travelers declined modestly, while overseas visitors from outside Canada rose 2.2% in the first half.

Trade tensions coincide with Canadian travel decline

A July 22 Statistics Canada report found that Canadian-resident return border crossings from the United States had declined for 11 consecutive months, describing the streak as the deepest and most sustained on record outside the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said the trend signaled a persistent shift in Canadian travel preferences away from the United States.

President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have strained relations with Ottawa. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday, Aug. 22, called the latest U.S. trade offer “a bad deal,” further clouding relations ahead of winter travel booking season.

Local picture: Record spring, uncertain fall

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater reported a record high season from February through April, with nearly 5 million visitors generating $36.2 million in Tourist Development Tax collections. April alone brought in more than $11.4 million in bed-tax revenue, topping the prior record by 14%.

Tourism supports roughly 100,000 jobs and more than $10 billion in annual economic impact in Pinellas County, according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. Canadian visitors had already dropped 17.8% in the St. Pete-Clearwater area in 2025 compared with 2024, and the statewide 2026 data could signal continued pressure locally.

Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, told county commissioners on Aug. 14 that international travelers are especially valuable because they arrive during off-peak periods. “They come at times of the year, they come at shoulder seasons. They come during slow times … So, times when Florida travelers aren't coming, times when other U.S. markets aren't producing, those international travelers are coming here to fill those rooms and go to our establishments,” Lowack said, as reported by the St. Pete Catalyst.

County spending and budget pressure

Pinellas County commissioners on Aug. 11 approved $575,000 in additional international marketing contracts, boosting spending on tourism promotion in Central Europe, the U.K., Ireland and Scandinavia through September 2027. The county is also exploring Central and South American markets; Brazilian visits rose 21.9% in 2025.

Meanwhile, the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference warned Aug. 14 that inflation has outpaced wage growth and flagged continued deceleration in construction, real estate and tourism growth in its economic outlook.

That backdrop adds weight to Pinellas County’s upcoming budget hearings. County Administrator Barry Burton presented a proposed $5.137 billion fiscal 2027 budget on Aug. 12 that carries a General Fund deficit exceeding $30 million. Public hearings are set for Sept. 10 and Sept. 24, with the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

Statewide visitor figures and the 2019 Canadian comparison were verified against reporting on Visit Florida’s release. Statistics Canada’s measure was corrected to Canadian-resident return crossings from the United States.