Destin-Fort Walton Beach Plans December Canada Trip as Florida Q2 Canadian Visits Fall 4%
Updated
Updated · WEAR · Aug 24
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Plans December Canada Trip as Florida Q2 Canadian Visits Fall 4%
3 articles · Updated · WEAR · Aug 24
Summary
December will bring Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach officials to several Canadian cities, where they plan networking meetings backed by a grant to keep the Gulf Coast destination top of mind.
721,000 Canadians visited Florida in the second quarter, down more than 4% from a year earlier after first-quarter traffic reached 958,000, with local tourism officials citing inflation and shifting travel patterns.
Airfares appear to be part of the pressure: Kayak data cited in the report showed average Canada-to-Florida ticket prices rising from nearly $350 in 2025 to more than $450 in 2026.
34.0 million visitors came to Florida in Q2 overall, within 1 percentage point of record 2025 levels, as domestic travelers supplied 31.1 million trips and offset softer Canadian demand.
19.8% was Florida's share of Canadian visitors to the U.S. in 2025, up from 16.8% in 2024, underscoring why tourism agencies still see Canada as a key market despite the recent dip.