Last year, Miami-Dade County welcomed a record 28 million tourists: 31% came from other counties in Florida; 46% came from other US states (up 2%); and 23% were international tourists (up 4%).
Among international tourists, Colombians ranked first with 8% of visitors, followed by Brazilians. Canadians (in third place) were down (-4%) in 2024.
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) expects a further decline in international visitors in 2025, as already evidenced by the decline in arrivals at Miami Airport since January 2025.
Early 2025
The figures were good at the start of the year for the Miami-Dade hotel industry: in the first four months, the occupancy rate was 82%, with an average room rate of US$252 (compared to $200 in Broward County).
But since mid-April and May, demand has been falling. According to David Whitaker, CEO of the Visitors Bureau, there is a lot of economic uncertainty this year and many events and trade shows are postponing their dates.
In the country
According to the U.S. Travel Association, between higher custom tariffs, visa delays, and changing tourism habits, international visitors to the United States were down 14% in March 2025.
For Canadians, in addition to political tensions, the rise of the US dollar is making trips to the US more expensive. The decline in visitors was sharp, at 20.2% in March 2025. Air Canada has decided to reduce its flights to Florida, Las Vegas, and Arizona by 10%. WestJet, Flair Airlines, and Air Transat have also made similar cuts.
The World Travel & Journalism Council is forecasting a more difficult year for US tourism overall, with a potential loss of $12 billion in 2025 from international visitors.
However, US tourism professionals are predicting a recovery in visitor numbers at the end of the summer and a strong end to the year. “Although we need to be ready to navigate the challenging times of these next few months, I also am very optimistic that in the fourth quarter we’re going to get much better. The fall is looking better than the summer,” said Julissa Kepner, GMCVB board chair and general manager of the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami.
Attempts to attract visitors by the states most affected
According to The Economic Times, many states such as Florida, California, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts are launching or working on advertising campaigns with powerful messages, as well as very attractive promotional offers for potential visitors, including Canadians! Let’s remember that Canadian tourists bring billions of dollars and jobs to the US economy, and these advertising campaigns are extremely strategic.
For example, California is working on a campaign for Canadian tourists called “California Loves Canada.” In Palm Springs, which welcomes 300,000 Canadians each year, the city is displaying banners with heart-shaped Canadian flags.
Florida, which is trying to retain its more than three million annual Canadian visitors, is not to be outdone and is planning two trade shows targeting Canadian tour operators and travelers: Florida Huddle (floridahuddle.com) and Encounter 2025 (floridaencounter.com).
