Canadian travelers turn away from Florence as overtourism shifts holiday habits

A survey of 2,000 Canadian adults by Intrepid Travel, reported by Hotel News Resource, shows that the majority of Canadian travelers are willing to adjust their habits to combat overtourism, favoring lesser-known destinations and local guides over popular hotspots. The finding marks a notable change in travel preference at a moment when Florence and other Tuscan centers face mounting pressure from visitor volumes that strain infrastructure and heritage conservation.

The shift reflects a broader recalibration in how North American travelers view the Italian postcard. Rather than the Renaissance circuit—Florence's Uffizi, the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio—an increasing proportion of Canadian visitors are now searching for alternatives. This preference aligns with data from Rome2Rio's third-quarter 2026 Travel Discoveries report, which revealed growing international interest in lesser-known destinations, suggesting the trend extends beyond Canada.

For Florence and Tuscany, the implications are complex. The region's economy depends heavily on tourism revenue from visitors drawn by precisely the famous attractions that overtourism now threatens. Yet the shift also offers an opportunity: it creates space for rural Tuscany—the wine villages, the smaller hill towns, the working landscape beyond the postcard—to absorb visitors without the crushing density that has hollowed out Florence's historic center and turned Venice into a transit point rather than a destination.