Vegas Hotels Worry About Losing Canadian Tourism Amid Trump Trade Wars
Key Points:
- Las Vegas is actively courting Canadian tourists after a significant decline in visitors following President Trump's 2025 tariffs and controversial statements about Canada, which led to an 18% drop in Canadian visitors and a corresponding decrease in tourism revenue and casino gaming income.
- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority conducted a sales mission in Western Canada in August, emphasizing their commitment to Canadian travelers and aiming to rebuild the market by engaging with travel agents in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
- To attract Canadian visitors, several Las Vegas hotels, including those in the Circa Hospitality Group, launched promotions like the "Vegas At Par" offer, giving a favorable 1:1 CAD to USD exchange rate and discounted experiences such as helicopter tours, generating significant interest and revenue.
- MGM Resorts International is also providing special packages and emphasizing improvements in the city to reassure Canadian tourists, with luxury properties seeing growth driven by bookings for major events like Formula 1 racing.
- Despite ongoing challenges, Las Vegas tourism officials and casino operators remain optimistic about regaining Canadian visitors by offering creative incentives and highlighting the city's evolving entertainment and convention offerings.