Trade War Threatens Las Vegas' $1 Billion Tourism Industry

Southern Nevada's economy relies heavily on tourism, but rising tariffs could squeeze the industry that fuels the region. According to an economic expert, the biggest impact may fall on the workers and families who call Las Vegas home.

"Of course I'm concerned," said Sulhee Woo, a Southern Nevadan. "These tariffs are a terrible thing."

Trade war tensions threaten Southern Nevada's $1 billion tourism industry, which depends heavily on international markets. As prices increase, Las Vegas' tourism may take a hit.

"The key word right now is uncertainty — that is, not only is it an unprecedented number of tariffs, but also the movement up, on, off, higher, lower — you just don't know what's going to happen," said UNLV economics professor Stephen Miller.

In 2024, Las Vegas welcomed 41.7 million visitors, who spent a record-breaking $87.7 billion in the regional economy. That money supported over 385,000 jobs and generated $21.3 billion in wages, making up nearly a third of all wages paid in Southern Nevada.

"The key to that is the number of visitors coming, and we're already seeing early returns suggesting that Canadians are not coming. They're cutting back," Miller said.

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, visitor volume is down nearly 12%, convention attendance is off by 20%, and gaming revenue has dipped nearly 14% on the Strip compared to last year.

"People living in Southern California, if you're deciding on coming to Vegas for a trip, you may decide not to come because it just sort of, your budget has to be rearranged because prices are going up," Miller said.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, spoke about the impact of tariffs in Nevada, saying, "Tourism and travel is important for my state, and what I'm already hearing from all of our businesses that directly or indirectly survive on that travel and tourism is the impact that we're seeing because of these tariffs and the actions of this administration."

State Treasurer Zach Conine warned that as tourism numbers from major international markets decline, many visitors won't reschedule canceled trips.

"Flight prices, casinos — everything is going to be expensive," said Woo, who worries about the impact on her family.