Canadians are giving Las Vegas the cold shoulder and Sin City is feeling it, says one business owner.
Canadians aren’t a big fan of the U.S. these days and aren’t all that quick to cross the border with Las Vegas taking a hit, according to casino owner Derek Stevens.
According to Stevens, visits from our friends up north have dropped so much it’s taking a toll, and he’s trying to win Canadians back by providing incentives. Stevens owns a number of properties in Las Vegas, including the Circa, Golden Gate, The D and BarCanada, and has a promotion in the works that would match the Canadian loonies “one to one” with the U.S. dollar through August, more than a 30% discount based on current exchange rates.
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When speaking to CNN, Stevens said: “We miss our Canadian friends. They fill up a lot of hotel rooms. A lot of meals don’t get served without them.”
One of the reasons Canadians are hesitant to visit is because Trump has threatened to make Canada the 51st state of the U.S., in which Stevens commented on: “If you get called the 51st state, you’re going to go spend your money in the Bahamas.”
On top of that, people aren’t happy about the strict tariffs, not just Canadians, pretty much around the globe.
And while the Supreme Court has stepped in, ruling against Trump’s tariffs, there are still residual effects with a number of industries suffering.
Las Vegas attracts over 40 million visitors annually and Canada is the largest source of international tourism with the adult playground feeling the blow as the visits decline.
Last year was the largest decline Las Vegas has seen in over 50 years, excluding the pandemic.
Casino owner is trying to win Canadians back
It’s not just the casinos that are taking a hit, this decline is causing significant revenue loss for downtown hotels like Circa, The D, and Golden Gate.
The drop is attributed to unfavorable exchange rates, the overall global economy, and concerns over U.S. tariffs and political threats.
Since Canadians are pulling back on visits, the airlines are pulling back on flights, driving the number of seats on planes from Canada to Las Vegas to its lowest point in two decades.
In addition to the Las Vegas, New York City and Seattle are reporting roughly 20% drops in visitors.
