Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trade barbs: Snowbirds quietly change plans

DeSantis responded by highlighting Florida’s record-breaking tourism numbers and even tossed in a Stanley Cup reference, noting the state hosted 34.4 million visitors in the second quarter alone. “Actually we continue to break tourism records (and win Stanley Cups),” he wrote (3).

But beyond the political sparring, Ford’s comments tapped into something deeper — and more personal — for many Canadians, especially snowbirds who are quietly reassessing long-standing winter travel plans.

When a political message reflects snowbirds’ economic reality

For many Canadian snowbirds, the decision to stay home longer this winter isn’t ideological — it’s financial.

A weaker loonie, higher travel insurance premiums, rising medical costs abroad and ongoing uncertainty around U.S. policy have all changed the math. What sounds like a political statement increasingly mirrors what snowbirds are already doing: shortening stays, delaying departures or choosing Canadian destinations instead.

In that sense, Ford’s message didn’t spark a movement — it reflected one already underway.

Stay strong, snowbirds — Florida feels it when you stay home

Still, there's something to be said about the almost-year-long movement to support Canada after President Donald Trump made his initial statement about Canada becoming the USA's 51st state.

Canadian snowbirds aren’t just winter residents — they are a major economic force in Florida. According to Visit Florida data (4), Canadian visitors to Florida fell by about 20% year over year in the second quarter, following a 16.9% decline in the first quarter. In raw numbers, Florida welcomed roughly 640,000 Canadian visitors in the second quarter — a sharp drop from the same period last year.

The financial impact of fewer snowbirds to the Sunshine State is significant. Some estimates suggest that reduced Canadian travel could cost South Florida alone up to US$90 million in lost revenue, affecting hotels, restaurants, rental properties and service jobs that rely heavily on long-stay snowbirds (4).

Across the U.S., the effect is even larger. Canadian travel to the United States overall is down just over 25%, according to Tourism Economics (5), contributing to a projected C$5.7 billion decline in international visitor spending this year. The U.S. Travel Association has identified fewer Canadian visits as the primary driver of that drop (6).

In other words: When snowbirds adjust their plans, it shows up on balance sheets.

Snowbirds are responding to cost, not conflict

This pullback isn’t driven by hostility toward the U.S. — although a portion can certainly be attributed to a reaction to the hostility Canada has felt from America's President. This pullback is also driven by practical realities facing snowbirds (and all Canadian travellers):

• A weaker Canadian dollar stretching fixed incomes
• Rising U.S. travel insurance and health-care costs
• Higher prices both at home and abroad
• A desire for flexibility in uncertain times

Staying strong doesn’t mean giving up winter travel altogether. It means adapting — sometimes year by year.

Canada is capturing those dollars instead

While fewer Canadians are heading south, they’re still travelling. In the same quarter Florida highlighted record tourism, Canadians spent C$20 billion travelling within Canada, compared with C$8.1 billion abroad, according to Statistics Canada — a 28.4% increase in foreign travel spending, but still heavily weighted toward domestic trips (6).

That domestic spending supports Canadian jobs, small businesses and tourism-dependent communities — especially during the winter months when many regions need it most.

Not a boycott — a recalibration

Ford was clear that Canadians remain free to travel where they choose and that Canadians “love our American friends.” His comments weren’t a call for confrontation — they were a recognition that economic choices matter (8).