Sin City is facing a summer failure, and Californians are partly responsible, as the data shows, as far as the biggest tourists.
Visits to Las Vegas fell 11.3% in June 2025, the previous year, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Traffic on Interstate 15 on the California Nevada border fell 4.3% over the same period, suggesting fewer visitors from Golden State heading to the Vegas casino.
The number of air travelers to Las Vegas fell 6.3% in the previous June. In 2024, Californians acquired more than a fifth of air travelers to Vegas.
A demographic report from visitor authorities estimated that Southern California provided 30% of all visitors to Las Vegas in 2024.
Adding it all means Californians may be responsible for a significant portion of the decline in Vegas tourism.
However, tourism in the US is only part of the photograph, as experts previously predicted poor international tourism across the country. The Department of Convention and Visitors estimates that 12% of city visitors are international.
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The World Travel and Tourism Council report predicts that the US will lose $12.5 billion in international travel in 2025.
“The US government is creating signs of “closing” while other countries are deploying welcome mats,” Council President Julia Simpson said in a statement.
This report cited booking data for air travel in March. This showed a 15% to 20% drop in expected trips from major tourism sources, including the UK, Germany and Canada.
Visitors from Canada and Mexico account for more than half of international tourists in Las Vegas in 2024, according to data from Visitors Authority.
But President Trump’s story of making Canada the 51st state and his decision to strike Canada with tariffs have left him unloved by Canadian travelers. Meanwhile, foreign media are attacked with stories of whimsical denial and detention at US border crossings.
Las Vegas is not alone due to travel issues. In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom predicted a “slump in Trump” on an international trip to California, partly brought by the president’s tariff regime.
“Las Vegas is thriving with tourism,” Senator Stephen Horseford wrote about X last week. Democrats represent Nevada’s fourth legislative district, which includes parts of Las Vegas.
Due to many metrics, including total visitors, convention attendance and room occupancy, Las Vegas has not yet fully recovered since the start of the pandemic.
However, under the dollar terms, SinCity continues to make profits even as the number of visitors drops. Clark County raised $1.16 billion in gambling revenue in June 2025, up 3.5% from the previous year.
In the end, the house always wins.
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