Las Vegas is facing yet another significant setback in its tourism sector as recent airport data reveals a drastic decline in passenger arrivals to the city.

Harry Reid International Airport, the primary gateway to Las Vegas situated a short distance south of the Strip, has been witnessing a downward trend in passenger numbers for six months in a row.

In May 2025, the airport accommodated fewer than five million travelers, marking a sharp 3.9 percent drop in both domestic and international traffic compared to the same month in 2024.

International travel, particularly from Canada, saw a notable decrease, with Air Canada’s passenger numbers falling by 21.7 percent and WestJet experiencing a significant 34.6 percent reduction.

As for domestic travel, the United States’ two top airlines saw dips in passengers flying to Las Vegas.

Southwest recorded a slight decrease of 0.3 percent in its passenger count compared to last year, while Spirit Airlines experienced a dramatic 42.4 percent decline, attributable to the airline’s broader financial difficulties.

These shocking statistics from Harry Reid International Airport are just the latest evidence of Las Vegas’s dwindling tourism.

Tourism is Las Vegas’s main industry, with the city hosting 41.6 million guests in 2024. 

Nevada made almost $100 billion in revenue from tourists last year, most of which was attributed to visitor spending in Las Vegas.

The decline is also seen in falling hotel revenue, with the Las Vegas Strip’s 85.3 percent occupancy in May 2025 representing a 3.2 percent fall, according to data from the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER). 

Average room rates also declined to $198.20 in May and even further to $163.64 in June – an 11.3 percent drop from the prior year. 

Las Vegas has been slammed for its ‘rip-off’ pricing in recent months, and soaring costs are likely a reason for the city’s dwindling tourism.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail revealed that Las Vegas’s iconic Bellagio Hotel was charging its guests an extra $25 just to eat off plates. 

Guests at the opulent Italian-themed casino resort are informed that ordering room service incurs the additional fee if it is served on crockery.

Multiple businesses in the city are being forced to shut due to dwindling tourism.

Classic mom-and-pop owned casino Poker Palace in North Las Vegas notified its 126 employees on July 29 that layoffs were set for September 30, with a final closing date of October 1, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification. 

Servers say they’re suffering as high prices and declining tourism diminish their tip earnings across the Strip, according to Reddit’s r/VegasLocals forum, where one cocktail waitress wrote: ‘I used to average about 80 cents a drink. Now I’m averaging about 10 cents.’

The combination of increased tariffs, inflation rates, and high prices has prevented people from traveling to the notorious spending city.

Las Vegas has also shifted its reputation from a gambler’s paradise to a luxury enclave with soaring resort costs and expensive prices.

Michael Schoenberger, a professor of hospitality management, echoed this sentiment to Business Insider.

‘You’re starting to change the mentality of the visitor where they’re thinking, “Well, I could go to Las Vegas, but it’s going to be a pain in my neck, or I could go to Cancún”‘.

‘It’s a cumulative effect that’s just now starting to show up’.