Thu May 08 11:02:12 UTC 2025: ## Florida Congressman’s Claim of 80% Drop in Canadian Tourism Debunked
**TALLAHASSEE, FL** – A claim by Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz that Canadian tourism to the state has plummeted by 80% due to President Trump’s rhetoric has been challenged by multiple data sources. While several indicators point to a decline in Canadian visitors, the figures fall far short of Moskowitz’s assertion.
Moskowitz, a Democrat representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, made the claim in a recent CNN interview, citing an April report from WPTV, a local NBC affiliate. The report referenced data from aviation firm OAG, showing a 75.7% decrease in US-Canada airline bookings in April compared to the previous year. However, crucially, this data was for the entire US-Canada market, not specifically Florida.
Other sources paint a more nuanced picture. While Florida’s tourism arm, Visit Florida, has yet to release first-quarter 2025 data, Governor DeSantis’s office reported a 0.5% *increase* in Canadian air travel in January and February compared to 2024. Aviation data firms provide varying figures, with some showing a 10-13% decrease in Canadian airline seats to Florida for May and June. Individual airport data reveals even wider discrepancies, ranging from a 6% decrease at Miami International Airport to a 43% decline at Palm Beach International Airport. Data from US Customs and Border Protection also shows a significant decrease in overall border crossings from Canada, but this does not specify tourism.
Hotel owner Richard Clavet, who has catered to Canadian tourists for years, corroborated a decline, estimating a 50% drop in Canadian guests at his properties. He attributed this partly to negative sentiments among Canadians towards President Trump’s statements about Canada.
Experts like OAG Chief Analyst John Grant caution that available data encompasses all US-Canada air travel, not just tourism to Florida. Similarly, Courtney Miller of Visual Approach Analytics noted that overall Canadian travel to the US is down, but not by the drastic 80% figure claimed by Moskowitz.
While a decrease in Canadian tourism to Florida is evident from various sources, the significant discrepancy between Moskowitz’s claim and the available data leads to the conclusion that his statement is largely inaccurate. The actual decline appears to be considerably less severe, ranging from single-digit percentages to a maximum of around 43% depending on the source and location.
First Piper 