The news comes out of the nation’s capital — firings, funding freezes, tariffs and trade wars — but federal turmoil is finding its way to the Florida Keys, where the island economy depends on out-of-town visitors, including those from Canada, who are declaring a US travel boycott in response to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to enact hefty tariffs on all Canadian goods.
Could trickle-down turmoil affect tourism?
Trump’s tariffs and the resulting trade war between the neighboring countries have prompted Canadians to reconsider U.S. travel plans, which often include Florida vacations in the winter months.
A U.S. travel boycott by Canadians could have an outsized impact on Florida, where, in 2023, Canadians made up 38% of all foreign tourists to the state, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency.
“We have seen that people are starting to pivot away and avoid the U.S.,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, the chief executive of WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, according to a Feb. 25 article in the New York Times. “We see also an increase of bookings into Mexico, into the Caribbean, into other non-U.S. destinations.”
Florida Keys tourism officials are closely monitoring the situation with Canada as well as European countries. International tourists make up 12.6% of all visitors to the island chain.
Many European countries were angered last week by Trump’s pivot away from U.S. support of Ukraine as it continues to defend itself in a war against Russia, which invaded the country three years ago.
The Keys’ Tourist Development Council “remains committed to welcoming Canadian and European travelers and will continue targeted marketing efforts to keep the destination top of mind in key international markets,” Heidi Barfels, the TDC’s vice president of marketing and communications, told the Keys Weekly on March 4. “International travelers are considered high-value visitors as they stay longer and spend more in the destination. We are monitoring the situation with tariffs and impacts on international travel closely and will remain nimble to adjust marketing spend as necessary to support. Our strategic approach includes a mix of print, television and programmatic digital advertising being run in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Italy, France and Scandinavia.”
When asked whether the TDC plans to tailor its advertising message to address Canadians’ concerns about the U.S. president and his trade war, Barfels said, “We are planning to maintain our current creative (material) which is tailored to the interests of each market or outlet. The beauty of the Keys is pretty alluring during the colder months.”
She added that the TDC is closely monitoring potential impacts, and “will execute a measured response based on how this all goes.”
The TDC is not currently planning any financial incentives or discounts to lure Canadian visitors to the Florida Keys, “but we are ready to launch efforts like this if needed. The beauty of shifting toward more digital marketing means we can turn on a campaign pretty quickly,” Barfels said.
What about federal cuts to government agencies?
The Florida Keys may be 1,100 miles away from Washington, D.C., but plenty of critical agencies here in the island chain start with the word “national.”
National Park Service. National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All play significant roles in the island chain, where employees are bracing for staffing reductions and lease terminations.
The National Park Service, which operates Everglades National Park at the top of the Keys and Dry Tortugas National Park at the very bottom, lost 1,000 employees on Feb. 14 and an additional 700 accepted the early buyouts offered by the new Department of Government Efficiency.
The Everglades park lost 15 employees, while the Tortugas was down at least one staff member as of late February, according to a list of lost jobs compiled by the Association of National Park Rangers and published by Outside magazine on Feb. 28 and updated March 3. The popular summer camps at the remote island national park could be threatened, although the Keys Weekly is awaiting confirmation.
An email from the Keys Weekly to the public affairs specialist at Everglades National Park was not answered this week.
The consequence of federal cuts to NOAA in the Florida Keys could be twofold, as the agency oversees both the National Ocean Service, which includes the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Weather Service, which operates a forecast office on White Street in Key West.
Keys residents, visitors, business owners and government officials rely on the weather service for severe weather warnings, including for tropical storms and hurricanes. A local forecasting meteorologist participates in all countywide storm coordination calls when a hurricane is on the horizon.
A spokeswoman for the National Weather Service declined to comment on any specific potential reductions within the agency.
“Per long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters,” Susan Buchanan, NWS public affairs officer, wrote in an email to the Keys Weekly on March 3. “NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience. We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission. Thanks for your understanding.”
The initial impacts were more immediate for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Since Feb. 28, the Trump administration and DOGE, under the direction of billionaire Elon Musk, moved to terminate one in 10 federal commercial real estate leases, or about 748 leases, including the marine sanctuary’s Key Largo office, an 8,000-square-foot building at 95230 Overseas Hwy. According to DOGE, the rent for the building was $252,011 per year. The Monroe County Property Appraiser website lists the owner of the building as Key Largo Ace Hardware Inc. Stay tuned to keysweekly.com as the Keys Weekly continues to track the local impacts of federal actions. Next week we’ll take a look at potential impacts to the summer camps and kids’ programs at Dry Tortugas National Park, where an American flag was flying upside down this week in a sign of distress.
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