Casinos brace as Las Vegas tourism plunges 7.5% in sharpest annual visitor decline outside COVID pandemic

While the Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is reporting a new record, tourism numbers in Las Vegas remain on the decline.

Nearly 55 million passengers traveled through LAS in 2025, giving the airport its third-highest annual total.

While passenger numbers still declined from the prior year, the airport attributed its 2025 success to various changes, such as TSA wait times on flight information display screens, a new airport website and two new lounges.

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James Chrisley, director of the Clark County Aviation Department, told Reuters, "Our peaks are still peaks, and our valleys are softer."

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LCVA) released its year-end summary for 2025 as well - and those numbers are worrisome to many. 

There were 38,545,700 people who visited Sin City - down 7.5% from 2024, the report said. 

The highest visitation year ever recorded in Las Vegas was in 2019, with 42,523,700 people coming by. 

That was before a dip during the COVID pandemic, according to LCVA data posted on its website. 

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The noted visitor volume in 2025 closely mirrors the levels seen in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Total occupancy in 2025 was 80.3%, with average room rates at $196.54 and a convention attendance of 5,988,200.

In comparison to 2024, convention attendance, visitors, occupancy and the daily roommate were all down.

Steve Hill, LVCVA president, reportedly spoke about the effect that tariffs have had on both returning and potential new visitors.

"Some of the decisions our administration has made around international relations [have] caused a drop in tourism," said Hill, according to local outlet KTNV Las Vegas.

Many officials, hotel owners and travel experts are citing a drop in Canadian tourism as a major reason that tourism numbers have been down.

Now, Circa Resort & Casino has launched an "at par" promotion - making the exchange rate for Canadians equal at its properties.

"Canadian [visitors] are down anywhere from 20% to 50%, depending on what month you look at over the course of the last year," Casino owner Derreck Stevens previously told Fox News Digital.

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Reuters called Las Vegas "a city powered by leisure spending that just posted its sharpest annual visitor decline outside the pandemic."

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Meanwhile, a tour guide told the outlet that travelers are bristling at how pricey Las Vegas has become. 

"Ten bucks for a bottle of water," said the guide. "People don't see a deal anymore."

Reuters contributed reporting.