Trump Tariffs, Canadian Boycotts, and Las Vegas: How Trade Politics Is Hitting Tourism
Canada matters more to Vegas than most people realize
Las Vegas isn’t just a domestic road-trip destination—it relies heavily on international flyers, and Canada is the single biggest international market. LVCVA-linked reporting says Canadians made up an average 44% of “global air travelers” into Las Vegas from 2019–2024, which is why any dip north of the border shows up fast on the Strip.
What changed under the tariff backdrop: fewer Canadians, fewer seats
Local tourism leaders and analysts have tied the recent softness to a political backlash—with tariffs acting as a trigger for “why travel there?” sentiment, particularly in Canada.
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In mid-2025, Las Vegas officials told AP that tourism from Canada and Mexico had fallen sharply, with the mayor describing Canada’s flow as going “from a torrent to a drip.”
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AP also reported that Canadian airline passenger counts into Las Vegas dropped steeply in June 2025: Air Canada -33%, WestJet -31%, and Flair -62% year-over-year.
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By early 2026, Las Vegas operators were openly responding with targeted promotions. The Review-Journal reported Canadian visitation down 20% in 2025 and airline seat capacity from Canada down 30%, with tourism experts explicitly linking the decline to a boycott over Trump tariff policy and related rhetoric.
In short: tariffs aren’t “raising hotel rates in Vegas” directly as much as they’re contributing to a souring cross-border mood that changes travel decisions.
The citywide impact: visitor totals fell, while pricing stayed high
Las Vegas’ official year-end data shows the slowdown is real:
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38.5 million visitors in 2025, down 7.5% from 2024.
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Air passengers at Harry Reid International fell 5.9% in 2025 vs. 2024.
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Conventions were the stabilizer: about 6.0 million convention attendees in 2025, essentially flat year-over-year.
At the same time, Las Vegas remained expensive by historical standards. LVCVA’s year-end summary pegged average daily rate (ADR) at about $184 for 2025, still among the strongest on record even though it eased from the prior year.
It’s not only tariffs: “Vegas is overpriced” is part of the story
Even insiders say the softness is multi-causal. AP’s year-end coverage described 2025 as a complex environment and noted Las Vegas was widely viewed as overpriced during the summer dip.
Tourism leaders have also pointed to “fee fatigue,” with Vegas operators being urged to consider a pause on resort fees to rebuild the city’s value reputation.
And Reuters has tied Las Vegas’ tourism strategy (including major events) to broader consumer sentiment weakness.
The bottom line
Trump-era tariffs appear to be impacting Las Vegas tourism mostly through international demand—especially Canada—by fueling resentment, uncertainty, and “stay home” travel choices, not by directly changing casino economics. The measurable result has been fewer international flyers and fewer total visitors, even as Las Vegas tries to hold pricing power and rely on conventions and big events to smooth out demand.