Panic in Las Vegas: Will Trump's tariffs drive away tourists from Canada?
The gambling city, which was hit hard against the backdrop of economic tension between the Trump administration and Canada, is trying to lure tourists from the neighboring country back. On the agenda: various discounts, a preferred exchange rate, and special flight packages.
Las Vegas is trying to minimize damage: against the backdrop of a sharp decline in the number of tourists from Canada arriving in the gambling city, it is launching a special marketing campaign intended only for visitors from the neighboring country. The city was hit hard by the economic and political tension between the Donald Trump administration and Canada.
"We don't need Canada, they need us," wrote President Donald Trump at the beginning of the week on his social network, Truth Social. The statement came against the backdrop of a prolonged crisis in relations between the two countries, which began back in 2025 with the imposition of tariffs and repeated statements by Trump about a desire to annex Canada and make it the 51st state of the USA. The remarks sparked public calls in Canada to boycott travel to the United States, and many Canadians have indeed reduced their visits across the border.
Las Vegas is considered one of the most vulnerable destinations to this trend, because tourists from Canada are historically among the most prominent in the city. In 2025, a decrease of about 18% was recorded in the number of Canadian visitors compared to the previous year — a decrease of about 250,000 people. The blow to Canadian tourism contributed to a decline in revenues from both tourist spending and gambling: gambling revenues at "Strip" hotels dropped by about 4% in the 2025 fiscal year, according to data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. However, in 2026, a moderate recovery was recorded, partly thanks to an increase in business travel, conferences, and large events in the city.
Aiming to curb the trend and take advantage of the partial recovery, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) went on a sales mission to Western Canada in mid-August, during which its representatives met with about a hundred Canadian travel agents in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. At the opening event, the authority's CEO, Steve Hill, delivered a clear message to the travel agents:
"We are here to make sure you know that we care about Canada. We know that Canada loves Las Vegas — and we love Canada back!"
Hill noted that the luxury travel market is actually maintaining stability, but the overall decline in the number of visitors led hotels and tourism bodies in the city to take creative steps to attract the Canadian crowd back. The hotel group Circa Hospitality, which includes the hotels Circa, The D Las Vegas, and Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas, has been offering a promotion called "Vegas At Par" since January 2026. As part of the promotion, instead of the current exchange rate standing at about 0.72 US dollars for one Canadian dollar, the hotels offer a preferred exchange rate of one US dollar for one Canadian dollar. According to the hotels, the promotion, which is valid until August 31, has so far attracted over 75,000 Canadian tourists and generated 15 million dollars in slot machine wagers. At the same time, the group also offers Canadian guests a discounted helicopter tour over the Strip for a price of 75 dollars, in cooperation with the company Papillon Helicopters — compared to the regular price of 129 dollars.
The hotel chain MGM Resorts International is also trying to attract tourists through promotions: the Luxor and Excalibur hotels, for example, offer an "all-inclusive" package for two people for a price of 330 dollars, including meals and entertainment. MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle told the travel agents:
"We want to remind our friends in Canada that we are still here, and we understand the concerns they have, but we continue to improve the city every day. We want to welcome them back as soon as they are ready to return."
The airline Air Canada is also joining the effort to attract Canadian tourists, and is offering discounted flight and hotel packages to Las Vegas — a discount of up to 35% on selected packages, valid until September 28. The discounts are valid at 35 hotels, including The Venetian, Caesars Palace, and Bellagio.
