Posted on 10/17/2021 1:54:52 PM PDT by Jacquerie
During a July 20 Economic Estimating Conference, state economists expressed optimism that tourism numbers would rebound more swiftly once COVID-19 border restrictions were lifted and international travelers, especially Canadians, could visit Florida.
That decision was expected momentarily from the White House at the time, but the surging delta variant derailed reopening plans until this week.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will reopen the nation’s land borders to “nonessential travel” by the fully vaccinated beginning Nov. 1, ending a 19-month pandemic-induced freeze.
While the Nov. 1 U.S.-Canada border reopening will enhance Canadian tourism in Florida, it will also lead tough hopeful return of what had become a suddenly rare winter species in the Sunshine State: the Canada snowbird.
About 1 million Canadians spend up to six months wintering in Florida each year, contributing an estimated $6.5 billion to the state’s economy.
Canadian Snowbird Association Legal Counsel Wallace Weylie told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune Wednesday there’s mounting pent-up demand from regular snowbirds to return to the “winter homes.”
“The sentiment is that they’re not going to spend another winter in Canada,” he said.
While Canadian “snow birds” make up a significant component of the state’s seasonal economy, tourists — short-term visitors — from Canada are also a bedrock constituency of the state’s tourism economy.
Canada is “responsible for upwards of 620,000 jobs in the state,” according to the report, adding, “Canadian tourism to Florida contributed $686.56 million to state and local coffers in 2016 alone.”
Those numbers are similar to figures in Enterprise Florida’s Florida-Canada 2015-17 trade profile, which states that in 2017, “Florida and Canada enjoyed more than $7 billion in trade, which supported about 600,000 jobs in the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecapitolist.com ...
Now I’ve got that damn Anne Murray song stuck in my head.
My wife’s friend in Ontario who had lived here for years and returned to be with her ailing sister 6 months ago and now wants to return to Florida. She says she is not allowed to leave the province because of the virus shutdown.
I’d LOVE to go to DeSantis’ State! Unfortunately, as one of the ‘unvaxxed’, I am a prisoner in Kanadahar.
XiJinBiden will not let me in and the Prime Mistake/chief dick-tater of Kanadahar, Justin Cockwomble True-dolt, won’t allow me to access a train, a plane, or a ship, to get out! Daddy was also a dictator in Cuba and his mentor is a dictator in the PRC.
Life is nearly normal in many parts of Florida.
If I was lucky enough to get there from Canada, I’d claim political asylum
Can they restrict Canadian Geese?
Well, according the article, that has changed. Anyway, I hope so.
I lived in MD for four years. Claim asylum.
A lot of them come here to Arizona from Alberta and B.C.
My Canadian wife is NOT partial to the climate here.
Hey,
If all you Cannucks come back to Florida as winter Snow Birds, try learning how to tip your wait staff here ya cheep bastards.
The Snowbirds from Rochester showed up this last week, along with their horses.
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