The controversial sunspot Canadians are heading to after canceling Florida vacations to protest Trump
Canadians who love wintering in Florida are ditching the Sunshine State to protest Donald Trumps treatment of their nation.
Canadians who love wintering in Florida are ditching the Sunshine State to protest Donald Trumps treatment of their nation...and going to Cuba instead.
Scores of Maple Leaf natives have pledged to boycott US travel - and some are taking it a step further by holidaying in the controversial Caribbean country instead.
The American federal government has long placed a ban on citizens traveling to Cuba as tourists, as a result of trade wars between the nations which never ceased. This policy tightened during Trumps first term in the White House.
Richard Clavet, who owns a string of Canadian-themed motels in south-east Floridas Hollywood, said snowbirds from the country are even going as far as canceling their trips and forfeiting deposits because of Trumps hostile policies.
I got one guy that had a $1,000 deposit. You know for sure hes coming. He gave up his deposit, Clavet, 60, told the Miami Herald. And its not like he decided not to come. But, just to protest, he said he was going to Cuba instead.
Cubas northern coast sits just 90 miles south of Floridas Key West tip, and offers similar sandy beaches and balmy weather.
The Communist country has historically been an enemy of the US, making it a great place for Canadians upset by Trumps policies to invest their holiday money.
Its terrible, Clavet said. People are canceling reservations left and right. Theyre not booking. We should be super, super busy right now and were just basically seeking American business. I think we need to give up on the Canadians.
Canadians are flocking to Cuba for vacations rather than Florida in protest against Donald Trumps aggressive tariffs and annexation threats. (Pictured: Playa Larga in Matanzas, Cuba)
Trump has threatened to annex Canada amid bold territorial ambitions which have crippled relations between the countries - with similar rhetoric also leveled against Greenland
Richard Clavet (pictured), who owns a string of Canadian-themed motels in south-east Floridas Hollywood, said snowbirds from the country are even going as far as canceling their trips and forfeiting deposits because of US President Donald Trumps hostile policies
Clavet, who arrived in Florida from Quebec in 1985 before launching his business in the 1990s, said he feels torn about the situation.
I would say my heart is on both sides of the border. I think its terrible whats going on in Canada right now, he said.
I guess it depends on how youre looking at things right now. Right now, theres like a mass movement from the Canadians and theyre all identifying together as against the US And theyre cutting their flights coming down this way.
Just three weeks into the month of March, demand for flights from Canada to South Florida has dropped around 20 percent compared with the same time last year.
Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, said the area normally takes in around 1.1 million Canadian tourists annually - but not this year.
Visit Lauderdale is deeply concerned about potential travel restrictions on our tourism industry, Ritter told the Miami Herald.
People from Canada, which has a population of more than 40 million, have long been among the top international travelers to the US.
Even a 10 percent drop in their travel spending could cost the American economy $2 billion and result in 14,000 job losses, according to the US Travel Association.
Canadas Liberal Party Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has hit back against Trumps threats
As well as sparking a seismic shift in Canadian attitudes towards the US - which were formerly friendly - Trumps hostile policies also catalyzed a snap election.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 60, who stepped up to the role after Justin Trudeau resigned last year, called for an early election in the hopes voters would give him a stronger mandate to combat Trumps policies.
The Liberal Party leader has been running on an anti-Trump platform after the American president launched a bitter trade war days after returning to the White House in January.
Trump, 78, has also threatened to annex the country amid bold territorial ambitions which have crippled relations between the US and Canada - while also leveling similar rhetoric against Greenland and Mexico.
Some Canadians said theyre boycotting America because theyre concerned theyll have issues crossing the border, while for others its a matter of principle as part of Carneys elbows up campaign against these policies.
I definitely will not be travelling to the United States for the next four years, if not longer, depending on who’s in after this Trump buffoon, Vancouver resident Natalie Huson, 64, told DailyMail.com.
When asked which of Trumps policies had prompted her boycott, Huson said: Him as a person, his treatment of immigrants, and all the people that voted for him - the "MAGA" cult following.
Canadians are canceling American vacations in protest against Donald Trumps aggressive policies against their country. Vancouver native Natalie Huson (pictured) said she wont be taking a trip to the US for the next four years despite having close friends in the country
Vehicle traffic from Canada into Erie and Niagara County was down 14 percent last month
Huson said that despite being a 64-year-old woman who doesnt drink, smoke or have a criminal record she is concerned about being detained at the border.
I don’t trust that something might not happen to me there, she said. It is not worth taking the chance.
I will forgo seeing my best friend for four years, and I’ve told her not to travel up this way.
I also told my two sons, daughter-in-law and my grandchildren not to cross the border, Huson added. Theyre ok with that.
I’ve also told them if they’re going to fly anywhere in the world they do a direct flight over the United States do not land in the United States.
That place is a wreck right now and I can’t see it getting any better until Trump is out.
Another Canadian who gave her name only as Mary, agreed she would not be traveling to the US as long as Trumps in charge.
The Alberta native said the sentiment was shared by her family and friends, who are also opting to vacation elsewhere.
Speaking about Trump, she told DailyMail.com: I detest the man, and the way he’s treating the rest of the world is just the last straw for me.