‘Ridiculous prices’ blamed for slump in Las Vegas visitor numbers

International arrivals at the Harry Reid International Airport were down 8.7 percent in May

By Ted Thornhill

US Travel Editor

Las Vegas visitor numbers have dropped by almost 8 percent and it’s the “ridiculous prices” that are keeping people away, according to one Sin City expert.

The Nevada gambling mecca welcomed 3.39 million visitors in March, compared with 3.68 million in February, a fall of 7.8 per cent, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

International arrivals at the Harry Reid International Airport were down 8.7 percent in May compared with the same month in 2024.

The drop appears to be part of the ”Trump slump“, which has seen many international travellers eschewing the U.S. There have been several high profile deportation cases including German backpackers Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepère, Rebecca Burke from Wales and Lucas Sielaff from Germany.

However Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor website and newsletter, told The Times that costs are also a big factor.

He told the newspaper: “On the Strip, people get taken for a ride. Once they get here they’re like, ‘I’m tired of being treated like this. I’m tired of having to pay these ridiculous prices.’

“There are fees all over the place — fees to park, resort fees on top of room rates. And people are getting fed up with it. We hear that a lot from our customers.”

The paper cited the example of one visitor who paid $40 for two coffees and two croissants.

Las Vegas expert Michael Trager, who runs travel tips site TravelZork, told The Independent that one way to keep costs down is to “dine off-strip or ‘strip adjacent’”.

He revealed: “You can get huge value by leaving your hotel property to dine at some of the more local places.

“A quick Uber can yield incredible value.”

He also recommends purchasing Las Vegas Advisor Membership, which offers a $50 yearly membership deal that includes a “coupon book on steroids” that will “pay for itself 10 times ove.”