“We're in this market to stay”: Kissimmee keeps faith in Canada despite U.S. slump

“We believe in this market, and we're not pulling out, we're not cutting budgets, we're not cutting back on travel agent training and marketing efforts and airline partnerships. We're in this market to stay.”

That’s the word from DT Minich, president and CEO of Experience Kissimmee, at an event produced by VoX International (which represents the destination in Canada)  at Toronto’s Hotel X in The New Fort Hall Thursday night (July 24).

Speaking to PAX, Minich explained, “We're hosting some of our top clients, our top partners for an evening of fun and drinks and dinner. It’s just a way of saying thank you for the business and for the partnership and for all that they do to help promote Kissimmee up in the Canadian market.”

“It hasn't fallen off the cliff”

Minich acknowledged travel from Canada is down amidst what’s become a tariff war between the U.S. and Canada and Canadian opposition to the Trump presidency.

The weak Canadian dollar and widespread media coverage of border security incidents and national travel advisories have also further contributed to a negative image of the U.S. abroad.

The latest from Statistics Canada paint a picture – this past June, compared to one year earlier, air travel to the U.S. from Canada dropped by 22.1 per cent while automobile crossings fell by 33.1 per cent, marking what StatCan describes as a “steep decline” in cross-border movement."

Still, not all Canadians have cancelled their cross-border trips. Canada, after all, is still the number one international market for the United States.

READ MORE: DAC, U.S. Consul General unpack Canada-U.S. travel trends amid conflict; media coverage “overblown”

“We've seen some drop off, but it hasn't fallen off the cliff per se,” Minich told PAX, pointing out that the summer months are “not big Canadian visitation time.”

He said it won’t be until fall and winter when the effects of the current political climate truly become clear. 

“Later this fall, I think, will be a better indicator if we're going to see dramatic drops or not,” he said.

That said, Minich believes the destination is better positioned than others within the state to continue to attract Canadians.

“I feel like we're in a much better position in Orlando and Kissimmee, in the Central Florida area, versus some of our fellow beach destinations around the state of Florida. Canadians have a lot of options for beach destinations. They can go to the Caribbean, they can go to Mexico. They have a lot more choice than just what’s in Florida,” he explained. “But if they want do theme parks and that kind of thing, you know, we're the only game in town.”

Theme park heaven

And speaking of theme parks, Kissimmee now has one more to offer Canadian travellers: Universal Epic Universe, which opened in May of this year.

Inspired by the heavens, stars and constellations, the theme park offers guests five fully-themed worlds including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World, and Celestial Park.

“It’s the first theme park that has opened in 25 years in Central Florida,” Minich pointed out. “The technology is just amazing. If you're familiar with Universal and Islands of Adventure, that's 750 acres. Epic is another 750. So, it's huge. It's all brand-new technology, the rides are just mind blowing…so there's been a lot of interest in people visiting. We've actually had a really good summer, but a lot of it is domestic travel.”

Minich is hoping that interest from Canadians will heat up as the temperatures cool down, but at the same time, he is realistic that this coming winter may not be the same as previous years. 

“We're forecasting down – but not dramatically down," he said. 

The Vacation Home Capital of the World

When it comes to Canadians who are choosing to forge ahead with their Central Florida travel plans, Minich believes it’s mainly families and multi-generational groups who will make the trip.

“We're seeing a big surge of multi-generational travel.” It’s the unique accommodation offerings that make it appealing to families large and small.

“We've had this verified and we trademarked it: we're the Vacation Home Capital of the World. We have more vacation homes than anywhere else in the world. We have 32,000, and they range from three bedrooms to 22 bedrooms.”

READ MORE: On Location: These Kissimmee vacation homes are on the doorstep of Florida’s top theme parks

These rentable homes, which sit on the doorstop of America’s biggest theme parks, are built in purpose-built communities. These “neighbourhoods” typically have a check-in centre, a main pool (some have waterparks), restaurants, bars, a gym and a concierge desk for nearby attractions.

Some brands even offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the major theme parks, eliminating the need to rent a car. 

Essentially, guests have the amenities of a four or five-star resort, but the convenience of having their own house. 

In 2022, PAX joined Canadian travel advisors in visiting some of Kissimmee’s most popular vacation homes. Click here to read our coverage.

Kissimmee’s vacation homes are also a draw for travel advisors – ”they’re commissionable for agents. It's just like booking a hotel when booking these homes,” said Minich.

When it comes to hotels, though, Kissimmee is expanding. “We've got quite a bit of hotel inventory under construction. Most of these projects are big projects and they probably won't open until early 2027. We have a new five-star hotel. We've got a new Nickelodeon hotel and condos under development,” said Minich.

"All markets have ups and downs"

Whether it’s beaches, theme parks, hotels, or vacation properties that may draw in Canadian travellers, Minich believes the numbers will rise again eventually.

“We're very optimistic. A big reason I'm here this week is just to say that we appreciate the Canadian business. We want to show support to our tour operators and our airlines that are featuring and selling Kissimmee and Central Florida,” he said. “We're in this market to stay. All markets have ups and downs.”

“And when it's down, you have to stay there and get ready for when it goes back up. That's the message I've been sending – that everything's good in Kissimmee, and we love our Canadians.”

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