Las Vegas struggles as Canadian tourists vanish at record rates
Las Vegas is facing a sharp decline in Canadian tourists, with numbers dropping by nearly a quarter last year. The city, heavily reliant on international visitors, has recorded its worst tourism slump in five decades—outside the pandemic. Now, casino owners and workers are feeling the strain as spending and bookings fall.
Canada has long been Las Vegas' top source of international tourists, sending around 1.5 million visitors annually. These travellers tend to stay longer and spend more than their US counterparts. But last year, visits plunged by 24%, mirroring declines in other major US cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle—each reporting drops of about 20%.
The slowdown has hit workers hard. Cristhian Barneond, a cook at the Cosmopolitan, has seen his shifts cut back as fewer tourists dine out. To cope, he took a second job at a mall, but those hours have also shrunk. Meanwhile, casino magnate Derek Stevens is trying to lure Canadians back by accepting Canadian dollars at par with the US dollar—a discount of over 30% based on current exchange rates. His properties alone have seen a 40% drop in Canadian visitors over the past year.
The broader boycott stems partly from political tensions, with many Canadians opting to travel domestically or abroad instead. Las Vegas, already grappling with one of the highest unemployment rates in the US, is now facing deeper economic challenges as its tourist-dependent economy weakens.
The decline in Canadian tourism has left Las Vegas with fewer visitors, reduced spending, and growing financial pressure on workers. Stevens' promotional exchange rate aims to reverse the trend, but the city's broader recovery depends on reversing the wider drop in international travel. Without a rebound, the impact on jobs and local businesses could worsen.
