President’s Message Karen Huestis CSA President In December, a bill was passed by both the United States Senate and House of Representatives that created the office of assistant secretary of travel and tourism. Up until then, the United States had been the only G-20 country not to have a cabinet-level tourism office even though tourism spending is higher in the U.S. than in any other country in the world. Although the idea had been kicked around Washington for years, the pandemic underscored the huge economic impact which tourism has on the U.S. economy. The assistant secretary will be in the Department of Commerce and will enhance domestic travel and tourism by, among other responsibilities, creating goals for international visitation. This individual will be appointed directly by President Biden who, unfortunately, has yet to announce a nominee. The nominee must also be confirmed by the United States Senate. The good news is that the bill which created the position – the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act – was passed with bipartisan support, which is not very common in Washington these days. We are hopeful that the creation of this new position will assist us in finally getting our Retiree Visa legislation approved in both chambers of Congress. I am pleased to announce that snowbird in-person special events are finally coming back. These include our Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations, Snowbird Extravaganzas and Winter Information Meetings. Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations are up first – right around the corner! They combine live musical entertainment with useful and timely information for veteran and novice snowbirds alike. You’ll also have an opportunity to hear what our friends at Medipac are doing for you this winter. In September, we will be travelling to six provinces, beginning our tour in Calgary, Alberta. You’ll also be able to find us out West in Sherwood Park, Alberta and Kelowna, British Columbia. From there, we head to Ontario with stops in Nepean, Port Hope, Oakville, Markham and St. Catharines. We will conclude our fall tour with stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Summerside, Prince Edward Island and Moncton, New Brunswick. As always, admission to these shows is free so, if you’re able, please attend a show and say hello. While you’re at it, why not bring a friend? We are always looking for new members. You can find dates and times for all of these shows elsewhere in this issue of CSANews. Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, is reporting that 1.44 million Canadians visited the state during the first three months of 2023. The first-quarter numbers for 2022 saw only 488,000 Canadian visitors to Florida. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Florida drew 1.446 million Canadian visitors. The bottom line? It appears that snowbird travel to Florida is finally back to pre-pandemic levels. The Canadian Snowbird Association has been accepting applications from members wishing to serve on the CSA board of directors. The new board will be ratified at the Annual General Meeting to be held in Lakeland, Florida in January 2024. The nominating committee has been approved by the current board and will be meeting in August to select a slate of candidates. Best of luck to all of our applicants. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to renew their membership in the association. If you have yet to renew, you can do so by mailing us your renewal notice, visiting our website (www.snowbirds.org) or picking up the phone and calling us at the office. Thanks also to all who have made a donation to our Special Action Fund. As always, every dollar donated is held in a separate account and is used exclusively to fund our government relations work. Often, we find ourselves having to react quickly to emerging issues on the political front and that is when the fund is an invaluable resource. If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation. No amount of money is too small and the fund really plays an integral role in allowing us to continue our advocacy efforts on behalf of our members. Bill and I wish you a safe and relaxing summer. We look forward to finally being able to visit with you in person at one of our shows in Canada or the United States. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
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