Las Vegas Tourism Falls in 2025 but Major Events Set Stage for Recovery

Las Vegas saw about 38.5 million tourists in 2025, showing a clear drop in overall travel to the city and the lowest yearly total since the comeback after the pandemic started in 2021. This number was 7.5% less than in 2024 and stayed far below the highest point reached before the pandemic in 2019.

Weaker Travel Demand Pushes Las Vegas Tourism and Hotel Metrics Lower in 2025

Data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) shows that weaker leisure travel and fewer international visitors caused the slowdown. Key factors included economic uncertainty, changing consumer confidence, and political issues affecting travel across borders, mainly from Canada. Higher prices on the Las Vegas Strip also seemed to put off some cost-conscious travelers, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Hotels felt the impact of this wider trend. The average occupancy for the year dropped to just over 80%, a decrease of more than three percentage points from the previous year. Room rates also went down, with the average daily rate falling about 5% to around $183. Revenue per available room saw a decrease of 9%.

Even with these drops, Las Vegas still did better than most of the US hotel industry, where average occupancy was down near the low 60% range. The city kept its spot as the place with the most hotel rooms in the United States, boasting over 150,000 rooms.

Las Vegas Leans on Conventions and Global Events to Drive Recovery in 2026

The convention sector showed strength during this time. About six million people showed up for trade shows and business events in 2025, almost matching the previous year’s numbers. Tourism officials pointed to conventions as a steady source of visitors when leisure travel was having a tough time.

The city also had a full calendar of big-name events. WrestleMania 41 broke attendance records at Allegiant Stadium, while the Las Vegas Grand Prix again caught worldwide attention in November. UFC International Fight Week and the National Finals Rodeo added to the year’s strong sports and entertainment lineup. At the same time, Sphere‘s immersive show of The Wizard of Oz sold over two million tickets, bringing in hundreds of millions in revenue.

Looking to the future, local tourism officials feel positive about a comeback in 2026. The Las Vegas Convention Center plans to welcome around 1.2 million trade show visitors, helped by the return of major events like ConExpo-Con/Agg and several new exhibitions.

This year will bring another WrestleMania, the Formula One race, UFC events, and the rodeo finals to Las Vegas. More people from other countries might visit because of the 2026 World Cup and America’s 250th birthday celebrations.Though 2025 had some challenges, city leaders think Las Vegas is ready to grow again in the coming year. They believe this because the city has many different events and strong convention business.