The Florida tourism industry has an affectionate relationship with Canadian snowbirds. The retirees from Canada who flock here for the winter months have helped build a year-round, bustling tourism season.
But some economists worry that the usual influx of Canadians — who own property here, spend weeks in seaside vacation rentals and camp out in RVs across the state — may rethink their travel plans this year as their economy slumps and the U.S. dollar remains strong.
“What very well could dampen Canadian visitation this winter is how their economy contracted during the first six months of this year,” said Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida. “The good thing is it’s still cold and snowy up there, which could still drive people here. But they face some significant headwinds for their economy.”
Canada is having a rough year. The country’s unemployment rate was 7 percent in August, continuing a spiral that’s steadily grown for more than six months. Canada is facing an impending housing bubble. The loonie, or the Canadian dollar, is currently worth about 76 cents when compared with the U.S. dollar, which is about the highest rate of depreciation for Canadians since 2009.
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