Shocking decline in visitors to Las Vegas revealed as foreign tourists shun the United States
The number of tourists visiting Las Vegas has plummeted as international visitors have begun to shun the United States.
Sin City welcomed 3.39 million visitors last month, down almost eight percent from 3.68 million in February, according to a report by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The report, obtained by 8 News Now, also revealed that hotel occupancy has slumped over the past year.
Hotels were 82.9 percent full last month, compared with 85.3 percent full in March 2024.
Midweek occupancy recorded a decline of 2.5 percent in the same period, despite more than half a million people attending conferences.
Casinos also reported an almost five percent drop over the past year. Statewide, the figure fell by 1.1 percent.
In downtown Las Vegas, rooms were fractionally cheaper than they were a year ago at an average of $100.31 compared with $100.97.
It comes as hotel rates on the Strip have soared, while the number of overseas air passengers had dropped.
A report by the International Trade Administration found that the number of foreign air passengers had plunged by 10 percent over the past year.
In Las Vegas, Harry Reid International Airport recorded a four percent decline in passengers according to the Clark County Department of Aviation.
Road traffic also dipped by 3.1 percent, according to the LVCVA.
Bloomberg reports that the decline in international tourism could cost the US economy almost $90billion.
The article quoted a Canadian family who is shunning the US in the wake of punitive tariffs and inflammatory remarks by President Trump.
Tourists from elsewhere have cancelled trips to the US amid fears they could be caught up in the president's immigration crackdown.
Last week two young German tourists found themselves detained and deported for not having any accommodation booked when they arrived in Hawaii.
In March a British backpacker found herself locked up for nearly three weeks after allegedly having the wrong type of visa when she tried to enter the US from Canada.
The British government has warned that travelers could face being arrested or detained if they fail to abide by rules which are being strictly enforced by US border agents.
The picture is not all negative in Las Vegas however, where occupancy on the Strip was still above levels seen in March 2024.
This is despite prices for hotel rooms soaring by almost four percent to an average of $188.75 a night.
Research firm Tourism Economics estimates that visits to the US will decline by 5.1 percent in 2025, which will ultimately contribute to a $64 billion loss for the domestic tourism industry.
The company originally forecasted a nearly 9 percent tourism jump this year, a prediction that was revised late last month because of 'polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric.'
'There's been a dramatic shift in our outlook,' Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, told the Washington Post.
'You're looking at a much weaker economic engine than what otherwise would've been, not just because of tariffs, but the rhetoric and condescending tone around it.'
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