Whether you want to try your luck at roulette, chow down on an all you can eat buffet, catch a show or shop till you drop, it’s hard to run out of things to do in Las Vegas. Yet speculation over Sin City’s tourism numbers has been flying in recent months – and newly released figures have now revealed the full extent of the slump. (Picture: Getty Images/Corbis Unreleased)
According to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Vegas welcomed 38.5m visitors in 2025 – a fall of 7.5% from the previous year. It represents the sharpest annual decline since tourism began returning to normal after the pandemic. The stats show that around 3- to 3.5 million people visited the city monthly in 2025, with hotel occupancy averaging around 75-85% for much of the year. (Picture: Getty Images)
Further figures from the site show that Vegas played host to 41.6m visitors in 2024, a slight rise on the 40.8m who visited in 2023, but still showing a significant recovery from the 32.2m who visited in 2021 as the industry aimed to recover from the pandemic. However, it falls short of the record 42.2m who went to Vegas in 2016, with the 2025 figures representing an 11.4% drop from that peak. (Picture: Getty Images/Corbis Unreleased)
December 2025 showed a particular decline, with around 3.1m tourists heading to Vegas – a drop of 9.2% from the previous year, when the city paid host to 3.4m festive guests. Similarly, hotel occupancy slumped to around 76.1% which was reflected by a drop in room rates, with the average room costing $183.87 (£134.22). (Picture: Getty Images)
Many visitors to Vegas have taken to social media in recent months to share their anger at the city’s ‘extortionate’ prices, which some experts have attributed to the ‘freefall’ in tourism. Marketing consultant Carlos Gil shared a receipt from a meal for 30 people dining in Vegas in August. The bill hit $1,729.39, but he took issue with the inclusion a 22% tip. Gil blasted it as highway robbery saying tipping in Vegas has morphed into a shakedown. ‘What I’m calling out is why they’re still asking for MORE on top of that,’ he wrote on social media, referencing the ‘additional tip’ line also on the receipt. ‘At what point does tipping turn into straight-up extortion? 22% was already added… and they still asked for more. That’s not gratuity, that’s greed!’ (Pictures: Carlos Gil)
While tourism may have slumped, however, the business sector is continuing to bring visitors to Vegas. The figures show that convention attendance remains strong in the city, with 5.9m of 2025’s visitors there to attend such an event – roughly the same number that attended for that purpose in 2024. (Picture: Getty Images)
Surrounding areas have had mixed fortunes. Laughlin (pictured), a resort town around 90 miles south of Las Vegas, welcomed 1.4m visitors in 2025 (an increase of 7.3%) while Mesquite, close to the Arizona state border, held steady with visitor numbers of around 833,000. (Picture: Getty Images)
While Vegas tourists numbers might be on the slide, the LVCVA still has high hopes for 2026, largely due to a number of major events coming to Sin City. Highlights of the year on the strip include the return of the ConExpo-Con/Agg, North America’s largest construction trade show, at the convention centre in March. The triennial event is expected to bring around 140,000 industry professionals and 2,000 exhibitors to the venue. (Picture: Getty Images)
Other events set to fill hotel rooms and keep the strip buzzing in 2026 include WrestleMania (April), the UFC International Fight Week (June) and the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix (November), not to mention the National Finals Rodeo (December). Visitors can also expect events around the World Cup, which kicks off in the US, Canada and Mexico in June, as well as preparations for the National College Football Championship, which will take place at the city’s Allegiant Stadium in early 2027. (Picture: Getty Images)
LVCVA president Steve Hill is also remaining optimnistic. ‘When we go through a little bit of a slowdown, we know that hurts everybody,’ he said at the annual Preview Las Vegas trade show. ‘We’re doubly committed to overcoming that and making sure the city remains vibrant.’ (Picture: Getty Images)Add as preferred source
