<p>-
- USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.Economic concerns, tensions with Canada have Las Vegas tourism rates falling</p>
<p>Bailey Schulz, USA TODAYJuly 9, 2025 at 5:06 AM</p>
<p>Las Vegas' hotel-casino operators are all about the deals this summer.</p>
<p>Resorts World is offering up to 40% off room rates and a $75 daily resort credit, plus free self-parking through Aug. 28. The Strat's summer value package includes room rates starting at $49, plus a $25 daily dining credit. Other operators are dropping prices for locals to boost staycations.</p>
<p>The discounts come at a time when international and budget-conscious travelers are hesitating to book their next trip to the Strip.</p>
<p>May was the fifth consecutive month Las Vegas has seen a year-over-year decline in tourism traffic, with visitor volume down 6.5% to just under 3.5 million people for the month, according to figures from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.</p>
<p>"I think there's an uptick (in deals) due to the environment we're in," said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA. "The operators here have the ability to turn a number of dials based on demand, and we're – like the rest of the United States – down a little bit from where we were the past couple of years."</p>
<p>A general view over the skyline during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas on November 21, 2024.Why is Las Vegas visitation down?</p>
<p>The pullback in visitation comes as consumers grow uneasy about the economy under President Donald Trump's new trade policies, which experts warn will drive up consumer prices.</p>
<p>The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell 5.4 points in June, hovering near lows not seen since the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. With tariffs and higher prices top of mind, consumers were more pessimistic about job availability and business conditions throughout the remainder of the year, according to the report.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, consumer spending dipped 0.1% in May, according to the Commerce Department, with Americans holding back on purchases at hotels, restaurants and bars.</p>
<p>"When there's so much uncertainty in the economy, people make decisions more slowly. They tend to wait," said Stephen Miller, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.</p>
<p>Hill said that uncertainty is showing up in Las Vegas' visitation data.</p>
<p>"The majority of the country has to pay attention to their budget and is concerned about how they're doing economically, or what the status of their job might be," he said.</p>
<p>That could be especially true if travelers no longer see Las Vegas as a value destination. Resort fees, parking rates and higher prices for food and drinks are a common gripe with travelers online, although Hill said those views tend to be more anecdotal than a driving force behind the recent slip in visitation.</p>
<p>Still, "when people start to be more budget conscious, those kind of concerns understandably come to the forefront," he said.</p>
<p>Andrew Page of Tampa, Florida, said he has cut back on his Las Vegas trips in recent years because he no longer thinks he's getting his money's worth. All of the extra fees and price hikes, he said, make him feel like the city is overpriced.</p>
<p>"When I do my travels for pleasure, I'm picking locations where there's an overall good experience, you're getting a lot of value for your dollar, somewhere that's a little more exclusive," said Page, 54, who works in tech innovation advisory. "Vegas just doesn't pop up on the list, and it used to be a place we loved to go."</p>
<p>Where are the Canadian tourists?</p>
<p>A decline in international visitation has also hit Las Vegas' tourism traffic.</p>
<p>While Las Vegas' tourism decline is led by a slip in domestic travel, which is typically behind roughly 88% of total visitation, the city has also seen fewer international travelers, especially from Canada.</p>
<p>Hill said visitation from the country is down roughly 15% so far this year.</p>
<p>Brian Faulkner, a 46-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, who works in film and TV production, said he and his wife typically visit Las Vegas anywhere from four to eight times a year. Direct flights make it easy to squeeze in a quick trip during a long weekend, he said, and the couple enjoys the city for its food and casino comps.</p>
<p>But the couple has decided to hold off on returning while Trump is in office, fed up with the U.S. president's talk about making Canada the 51st state.</p>
<p>Instead, Faulkner is funneling his travel budget back into Canada and other destinations. He had just returned from a camping trip north of Calgary when he spoke to USA TODAY, and his wife plans to visit Scotland at the end of July.</p>
<p>"A lot of Canadians are taking more pride in Canada, and we are traveling within our own borders. My wife and I, we have actually been doing more date nights locally to try to see our city through the eyes of a tourist," he said. "We're trying to do the patriotic thing for our country."</p>
<p>The decline in Las Vegas is in line with national trends. Total international visitation during the first four months of the year was down roughly 1%, with visitation from Canada down 14.5%, according to the International Trade Administration.</p>
<p>Blair Yaworsky, a warehouse manager based in Edmonton, Alberta, said he's not sure he'll ever be comfortable booking another trip to the U.S.</p>
<p>Yaworsky, 53, has been a frequent traveler to the States, especially Las Vegas. But like Faulkner, Yaworsky is holding back on further U.S. travel due to the Trump administration's actions.</p>
<p>Talk of tariffs and making Canada the 51st state was upsetting, but Yaworsky – who is of Ukrainian heritage – said the administration's public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was his last straw.</p>
<p>Yaworsky said he has already canceled a trip to Montana with his nephews, noting that he's uneasy taking them to the U.S. because they are mixed race. His last trip to the country was in May, a four-night stay and farewell to Las Vegas. Yaworsky said he hit up his favorite restaurants, attended the Punk Rock Bowling music festival and did a bit of gambling.</p>
<p>"I just love the escapism that Las Vegas offers. It's, quite frankly, going to suck not going down. It's a huge part of our lives," he said. "I've had to make peace that maybe I traveled there for the last time."</p>
<p>No Canada! North-of-the-border buyers pull back as trade war heats up</p>
<p>Optimism for 2026</p>
<p>Looking forward, Hill is confident that Las Vegas visitation numbers will bounce back.</p>
<p>Hill said the city has a lineup of events, meetings and trade shows scheduled for this fall that should boost traffic. For instance, this November's SEMA Show, the Specialty Equipment Market Association's automotive trade show, is set to bring in roughly 160,000 visitors, according to the LVCVA.</p>
<p>Next year, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, a construction trade show held every three years, is expected to bring in nearly 140,000 visitors. The Sweets and Snacks Expo, also held in Las Vegas every third year, returns in May with an estimated 16,000 attendees.</p>
<p>"There's some optimism coming into the fall and beyond," Hill said. "2026 is almost certainly the best trade show and group business meeting outlook that we've ever had."</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Las Vegas resorts push summer deals with tourism on the decline</p>
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