TORONTO — The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau promised to deliver the “sunshine, salsa and spirit of Greater Miami” at last night’s industry event – and they delivered, even on the sunshine.
A bitterly cold but sunny day in Toronto was the perfect opportunity for Miami to showcase its selling points to GTA travel advisors and trade media. Most importantly, the iconic Lula Lounge on Dundas St. West, a famous venue for live salsa, Latin and world music – not to mention dance lessons – offered the perfect backdrop for what the Miami team called ‘The Great Canadian Miami Mission.’
“THIS WINTER WILL BE VERY TELLING”
Suzie Sponder, the GMCVB’s Senior Director of Communications for U.S. & Canada and Debra Lee, Director, Travel Industry Sales, are well aware these are tough times to market U.S. destinations to Canadian travellers and the trade.
The 2024 numbers from the Canadian market were strong, with 323,000 Canadians heading to Miami that year.
Sponder tells Travelweek the 2025 visitation stats will be released this May. “Canadians are mostly coming [to Miami] in the winter months. So this winter will be very telling,” she told Travelweek.
Certainly there is a whole lot of ‘silent travel’ happening as many Canadians continue to vacation in the U.S. without necessarily making a big show of it to family and friends, she added.
“We haven’t seen a decrease in lift” from Canadian gateways, said Sponder. That’s a good sign. Between seasonal and year-round offerings, there are between seven and 10 flights per day to Miami from Toronto alone. Plus new seasonal service from Porter between Ottawa and MIA kicked off Jan. 24 and runs through April 13.
Miami also continues to be a big draw for cruise vacationers, especially for inaugural sailings. “If you’re launching a new ship it’s almost always in Miami,” said Lee.
PortMiami marked a major milestone in January with the groundbreaking of the future Cruise Terminal G, a US$345 million investment developed in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group. And NCL’s Norwegian Aura will homeport in Miami beginning June 2027.
Miami’s many ocean draws also include The Reefline, a 7-mile long underwater sculpture park located 600 feet offshore. The site, under development in phases, is ideal for both divers and snorkellers.
HOTEL NEWS & MORE
Aside from the beautiful weather, Miami offers strong ROI, said Sponder. “We’re not a cheap destination but we’re excellent value,” she said. The city’s art and culture offering is perennially popular, not to mention its dining scene. Attraction deals abound in March and April, and there are wellness savings and more in July and August for Miami Spa Months. And foodies from around the world show up for Miami Spice in August and September, offering prix fixe deals and more at hundreds of restaurants across the city. Also notable: the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, taking place this year Feb. 19 – 22.
This year Miami Stadium is also gearing up to host seven FIFA World Cup matches.
In hotel news, one of South Beach’s most iconic hospitality landmarks, Delano Miami Beach will reopen March 9, while the Loews Miami Beach Hotel recently unveiled a US$55 million redesign, and the Ritz-Carlton South Beach underwent a US$90 million renovation. New properties on the way include the Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences in downtown Miami, and The Raleigh, A Rosewood Hotel & Residences. Both are expected to open in 2027.
Agents looking for more information on Miami are encouraged to check out the Travel Professionals page on the MiamiandBeaches.com site. “That’s where agents can access our ‘Greater Miami and the Beaches Specialist’ program,” said Lee. “It takes about 20 to complete. We’re happy with the awareness levels [of the specialist program among Canadian agents] but we always welcome more!”
Lead image caption: The GMCVB’s Debra Lee, Director, Travel Industry Sales (left) and Suzie Sponder, Senior Director of Communications for U.S. & Canada (right) at Lula Lounge in Toronto
