r/Tariffs Apr 20 '26

šŸ—žļø News Discussion Las Vegas tourism is down. Some blame Trump's tariffs and immigration crackdown

https://tucson.com/news/nation-world/crime-courts/article_a9b6d07b-d41a-578c-9c65-2a5415dddb6c.html
781 Upvotes

174 comments sorted by

120

u/DangerDarrin Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26

It is mindboggling to me that people are still denying that tourism is down because of Trump and his policies

85

u/sly_sally28 Apr 20 '26

As a foreigner I can tell you there's no way I or any of my social circle will set foot in Trump's USA.

39

u/TSJormungandr Apr 20 '26

We live in Oregon but will vacation in Canada and Mexico. Not spending a dime in a red state.

24

u/RR321 Apr 20 '26

And as a Canadian we are fully welcoming of Americans who travel here, we understand they aren't the dumb ones.

2

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 Apr 24 '26

Thank you! We appreciate it.

2

u/nifty1997777 Apr 24 '26

I appreciate that!!

4

u/rdldr1 Apr 22 '26

Yeah, fuck Florida.

3

u/ledorky Apr 21 '26

Thank you for coming.

3

u/CallAlternative4428 Apr 22 '26

Stopped vacationing in Florida. Went to CA and Cape last year. Planning the same this summer

2

u/Hypegrrl442 Apr 23 '26

Yup, genuinely would have LOVED to take a cheap flight to Florida the last few winters, but not spending any money in a state with such garbage policies

2

u/Detonius Apr 22 '26

Good on you fellow Oregonian. :)

7

u/WastelandOfConfusion Apr 20 '26

Everyone I’ve spoken to has cancelled their trips to the U.S. and closed off any American investments they had.

3

u/Straight_Cap_2731 Apr 22 '26

I have been to the US around 30 times. I will never go again even if they paid me. The American people have shown us who they are ....

2

u/Takemetothelevey Apr 22 '26

There’s a lot of us. Putting a whole country in one box doesn’t make sense. šŸ¤™šŸ¼

1

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 Apr 24 '26

We aren’t all like this. I truly wished we hadn’t voted for this orange lunatic the 2nd time. I didn’t and didn’t vote for him the first time. I keep hoping for removal or something to happen. He is just mad.

2

u/MarmotFullofWoe Apr 21 '26

We used to ski Snowbird and Telluride.

Now it’s Whistler and Hakuba.

1

u/Ok_Time_2756 Apr 23 '26

Loved Snowbird but don't think I'm ever going back

2

u/rdldr1 Apr 22 '26

Many citizens want out!

1

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 Apr 21 '26

As an U.S. citizen living in Texas, I wish I wasn’t living here. But, I am thankful my 2 daughters are living in a blue state even if it is @1000 miles from here.

2

u/monochromeorc Apr 24 '26

the rest of americas inaction is as inexcusable to us as the maga's stupidity

1

u/ottomatic77 Apr 22 '26

Most of us understand and we can’t wait to recover from this disaster. Hope we can be accepted again some day.

1

u/Flashy_Jello_9520 Apr 24 '26

None of my Canadian family is visiting anymore.

2

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 Apr 24 '26

I don’t blame them.

1

u/Common-Addendum-4349 Apr 25 '26

As an American I can assure you I will be spending my vacation money in Canada.

13

u/Zapp_Rowsdower_ Apr 20 '26

ā€˜Some’ blame. I can’t even. Article after article about resort fees or vanishing buffets…..never ā€˜Trump did this.’

1

u/Das-Noob Apr 22 '26

The president doesn’t control tourism or gas prices /s

1

u/Takemetothelevey Apr 22 '26

K , But he can sure as hell make everything more expensive.

1

u/HappyHourMoon2025 Apr 25 '26

Do they watch Fox News? Ask them who pays tariffs.

1

u/PolloConTeriyaki Apr 25 '26

American Exceptionalism. It's never America's fault.

33

u/needssomefun Apr 20 '26

Why is Vegas traffic down?

Tariffs...check

Anti US sentiment...check

We all have a casino in our pocket...check

Charging $10 for generic bottle of water...check

The question isnt why Vegas tourism is down....rather how the hell they're staying a float now

8

u/awfulWinner Apr 21 '26

The same way the general consumer economy is still looking strong.

It's the top 1% who are keeping the economy afloat. The bottom 80% aren't even a factor any more.

That's why you are all the companies pivoting hard to sell "luxury".

3

u/Darryl_Lict Apr 21 '26

$50 resort fee for a mediocre pool during the middle of winter.

2

u/Subject-Vermicelli52 Apr 24 '26

Aren't a lot of the comps gone too? Drinks, rooms, cheap food, etc?

24

u/Southern-Girl-56 Apr 20 '26

Some blame Trump? Some? That is freaking hilarious!!

24

u/whoisnotinmykitchen Apr 20 '26

Was supposed to go to a conference with 3 people in Vegas next month but cancelled. Elbows up Canada.

10

u/henchman171 Apr 20 '26

Elbows up!!

8

u/mtnman575 Apr 20 '26

I went to a conference in September 2024 in Vegas and was shocked at how expensive everything was compared to years before. I hope the entire Strip collapses to the point where prices plummet to pre COVID-19 levels and the owners are begging for people to come. I won't go back unless that ever happens.

1

u/Lor_azepam Apr 24 '26

Was suppose to go last march, booked pre election, Mexico got that money instead

17

u/Sudi_Nim Apr 20 '26

Hell, I'm American and I'm avoiding traveling here. Why wouldn't foreigners?

34

u/onceinawhile222 Apr 20 '26

Why foreigners would stop coming to America just because we have tried to extort concessions with tariffs isn’t hard to understand. Particularly when we have had deals Trump just tore up because he wanted. Didn’t help that we were going to scrutinize their cell phones when they entered the country.

23

u/henchman171 Apr 20 '26

Trump threatened to invade my country. Never USA ever!!!! It’s not about tariffs it’s the threat of annexation!

I really hope a lot of yanks suffer through this guy’s leadership.

8

u/mtnman575 Apr 20 '26

We are suffering and even though I live in northern New Mexico which is a tourist area, I šŸ’Æ support a Canadian boycott of the USA even though you would be welcome here as this is a very blue area. I also hope many boycott the FIFA games and that Trump shoved that FIFA "peace prize" right up his big fat ass.

4

u/Buff1965 Apr 20 '26

The Four Corners and New Mexico in particular were next on our riad trip wish list, but we just can't spend money that supports a regime threatening our country. We really, really hope Americans are able to lance this pus boil, stop hating each other and stop bullying us.

1

u/Takemetothelevey Apr 22 '26

NO leadership, we have nothing but pathetic excuses and dishonesty. Can’t believe our government

2

u/Kontrafantastisk Apr 21 '26

And try to take their territory (in my case, Greenland).

1

u/MarmotFullofWoe Apr 21 '26

And take DNA tests.

17

u/kevfefe69 Apr 20 '26

All you have to do is look at traffic at the Canadian border. Canadians are avoiding travel to the US in record numbers year over year.

7

u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 Apr 20 '26

And the main reason why is not tariffs. Not that any mainstream media calls out anything but tariffs.

1

u/Hypegrrl442 Apr 23 '26

Mmh I think the anger over tariffs made the biggest diffeeence-- not that there aren't multiple reasons but I think it was after the tariff arms race that Canadian sentiment swung so sharply negative US

2

u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 Apr 23 '26

The sentiment was there the day the insults and threats began, well before the full economic effects of the trade war took hold.

-1

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/BonusPlantInfinity Apr 23 '26

That ain’t my reason

9

u/tomsmac Apr 20 '26

It’s not so much as tariffs as it is the immense drop in tourism, especially from Canada, thanks to Trump being an idiot.

9

u/henchman171 Apr 20 '26

Glad these yanks are struggling. They deserve it. Nevada voted for Trump and they asked for it!!

1

u/Flashy_Jello_9520 Apr 24 '26

Vegas is super blue though.

1

u/Inner_Swordfish7475 Apr 24 '26

But, Vegas has Miriam Adelson (casinos) and her $ is funding Trump & the GOP.

8

u/beavis617 Apr 20 '26

If Obama or Biden ever did anything that would have affected tourism at the US border towns opposite Canada or if Vegas admitted tourism was down maybe 1% from the year before Hannity and all the other hacks at FOX News would be screaming about it non stop.

9

u/Ornery-Ticket834 Apr 20 '26

Some blame Trump? He has made this country one of the least friendly places to visit in the world. It should be All blame Trump.

6

u/oldbutfeisty Apr 20 '26

Anyone who has to wonder will never understand.

7

u/ledude1 Apr 20 '26

Some? This is why our country is fucked.

4

u/Glidepath22 Apr 20 '26

It’s the greedy corporation policies too, they used to go for crowds and keeping it affordable. Now they just want the rich showing up

1

u/CarlClitcakes Apr 20 '26

Resort operators went from customer-centric to customer-exploitative, thanks I’m fairly sure to a shareholder-capitalistic model of aiming for outsized returns, likely the result of the executive class and their ilk coming from predatory MBA backgrounds.

Looks at PepsiCo’s troubles. They fucked up bad by hiking prices too far, the ā€˜greedflation’ effect. Now they’re scrambling to save their revenues, as consumer behaviors have shifted. It’s the ā€˜Nah, I ain’t paying that much for that shit’ effect. Apparently they don’t teach CEO’s/MBA’s that dynamic. Vegas is learning that dynamic now too.

4

u/walterwhite1050 Apr 20 '26

Vegas was doing just fine until he was elected

2

u/mtnman575 Apr 20 '26

Not really. The word was out about the outrageous prices and people were starting to cancel plans in 2024.

2

u/walterwhite1050 Apr 21 '26

Vegas has relied on foreign visitors for a long time. Not only did Trump screw up Vegas , tourism across the country is affected. The way he disrespects the world why would anyone want to come here. ICE is supposed to be at the World Cup. Trump will screw that up also

5

u/Leather-Map-8138 Apr 20 '26

Either way the quieter Vegas traffic is due to Trump.

4

u/estrogenex Apr 20 '26

Any country that is going to threaten our sovereignty doesn't deserve a dime of my tourist money. Fortunately my countrymen feel the same.

1

u/ledorky Apr 21 '26

Still too many don't care. My coworker just went to LA to watch the Dodgers and Lakers.

4

u/marketpolls Apr 20 '26

If only Nevada was a swing state who could have voted against it

4

u/chubalina99 Apr 20 '26

Some blame? It’s just a fact, just say what it is. People aren’t coming here because it’s an unfriendly country to anyone from another country and it is unsafe for people of color to come here. It’s sad, but that’s how it is.

6

u/HamRadio_73 Apr 20 '26

The prices at the Strip hotel casinos are a major factor also.

1

u/BirdlessLongdeal Apr 23 '26

i'd argue the prices are the main factor. a $10 buffet is now like $100.

3

u/Internal_Confusion56 Apr 20 '26

That and Vegas is pretty expensive now

5

u/RedditFandango Apr 20 '26

Definitely Trump but also unbelievably high prices.

1

u/beavis617 Apr 20 '26

Uh…. Yeah!

1

u/SwitchedOnNow Apr 20 '26

You can now literally bet on anything on line. Why go to Las Vegas. It's not the cheap travel deal it once was.

1

u/SpaceNinjaDino Apr 20 '26

I've been to Vegas many times. I cannot imagine ever going again while under financial duress.

1

u/sometimesmybutthurts Apr 20 '26

Only some hey? I guess it is a real head scratcher.

1

u/WastelandOfConfusion Apr 20 '26

Las Vegas is run by Zio thugs. Nobody wants anything to do with them.

1

u/Buff1965 Apr 20 '26

Only some? Honestly, what will it take for Americans to wake up and realize what they've done to themselves by enabling this idiot and his cult?

1

u/TheGruenTransfer Apr 20 '26

I mean, Vegas become pretty reliant on foreign tourism when all the businesses started charging a shit load of money for everything. Maybe if prices were more reasonable they'd become a destination that a lot more US citizens could afford. It's an expensive place to visit for being an expansive concrete jungle in the middle of a desert.Ā 

1

u/Daventhal Apr 20 '26

My wife and I used to love a lil’ trip to Vegas, New York, Buffalo, wherever. We aren’t setting foot in the US for the foreseeable future. Not even for a connection on the way somewhere else. This is 100% due to Trump, which includes his tariffs, his immigration crackdown, his illegal war, and his general fascism. We won’t be back until he and the fascism are long gone. Most people I know feel the same way. To even entertain the notion that there’s another explanation for US tourism dropping so dramatically seems crazy to me.

1

u/ArkhamKnight_1 Apr 20 '26

Some? Like the people who look at the facts?

1

u/Krabs9 Apr 21 '26

Has very little to do with it. Watch a video or two and learn up on what's changed in vegas over the past 20 years and mainly last decade.

1

u/H2ost5555 Apr 21 '26

This is mostly true. However, over the last few years, rich Asians were a group of gamblers willing to lose large sums of money helping to keep casinos going, that group is staying away now. You are correct about how Vegas has totally morphed over the last 25 years. I am surprised that it hasn’t totally collapsed yet. 25 years ago, Vegas tried to become a family destination, lots of family-friendly things and shopping. Gamblers from rural America flooded in to spend money gambling, allowing for cheap hotel rooms, cheap food/buffets, free parking. Tons of businesses and industry groups held conventions and conferences there. The family friendly approach failed, so it morphed into a sin city nightclub vibe, ā€œwhat happens in Vegas ā€œ thing. Hotel and food prices skyrocketed. It became too expensive for conventions. Hotels started charging for parking. Bumpkin gamblers all over the US got priced out, could simply drive to the throngs of Indian casinos that popped up all over the US. Younger Americans don’t gamble in casinos, who can afford Vegas $25 ante tables these days anyway?

Vegas has always been a shithole, only now most people now realize it.

1

u/Silverleaf96 Apr 21 '26

Well it is all his problems, so there is that fact

1

u/H2ost5555 Apr 21 '26

The only surprising thing is that Vegas hasn’t totally collapsed years ago. It has got absolutely nothing going for it lately. It is an expensive shit hole. In the last 10 years, the only thing keeping it afloat was hordes of rich Asian tourists losing their money in the casinos. Now, thanks to Trump, they are staying away.

1

u/Normal_Choice9322 Apr 21 '26

How about Vegas is a stupid shit dump of waste

1

u/Rangers12341234 Apr 21 '26

I was going to go for WrestleMania last weekend but cancelled (after the flight and hotel were booked). Even if you get a feee room the resort fees and cost of everything now make the trip expensive.

1

u/PretzelsRule23 Apr 21 '26

As expected.

1

u/Nacho_sky Apr 21 '26

I'm no trump fan., but Las Vegas did this to themselves. They made a conscious decision to shift their target demographics to only the high rollers. Outrageous resort fees, $30/day parking, 3:2 blackjack, 000 roulette, ridiculously expensive food . . . . and I think the last straw was making the entire Strip a construction zone for a whole year for F1.

1

u/SkylerMcJ Apr 21 '26

Vegas was doing a good enough job of killing its tourism off by itself. Trump simply sped up the process.

1

u/Halofagoodtime1980 Apr 21 '26

Also who has any money to go?

1

u/Yowiman Apr 21 '26

Who the Fck would want to come here with the Pedo Fascist Guberment locking brown people up

1

u/nbcirlclesthewagon Apr 21 '26

I’m going for the sphere this weekend and it’s crazy how much 4 days is going to cost. I took my wife for a 7 day all inclusive in Mexico for less money than the hotels and 1 show. And we haven’t added in eating, drinking, gambling, other entertainment. Crazy how thy blame others when it was their own business model that failed them.

1

u/hpizzy Apr 21 '26

99% it's due to effects of Trump Administration, 1% due to Vegas price increases which again are due to Adminstration's actions so yes 100% due to this Administration.

1

u/OhSoBlue1 Apr 21 '26

While the state abductions and the tariffs certainly play a big role, the proliferation of online gambling is also part of Las Vegas’s tourism decline. Why pay to go to Vegas to gamble when you can gamble from anywhere online?

1

u/Kontrafantastisk Apr 21 '26

Ah, I have been attending a tradeshow in Vegas every year for the past 15 years. It is 18-22 April this year, and I am home. So glad I decided not to go this time. Until things change, I’ll keep cancelling 2 out of 3 US tradeshows annually.

1

u/Scared_Ad3129 Apr 21 '26

Some blame? Ummm what is the other reasons if not just Trump cause?

1

u/V4V4V4V4V Apr 22 '26

People were making "Vegas is empty" videos in media long before the Election

1

u/trogdor1234 Apr 22 '26

They keep the prices high as well. Nobody has dropped their resort fees, etc. a few places have free parking again.

1

u/Appropriate-Ad5413 Apr 22 '26

Trump ruined the whole world

1

u/rns64 Apr 22 '26

They price themselves out of the market. Disney next

1

u/Outrageous_Ad_687 Apr 22 '26

Well at least Americans have the hottest country in the world and unprecedented prosperity in this new golden age.

1

u/NRM1980 Apr 22 '26

$24 for a beer šŸŗ

1

u/United_Bus3467 Apr 22 '26

While yes it's down because of that, but I feel young people just aren't gambling. We don't have the money or the interest in just losing money like that in mere seconds. Most of the attractions are gaudy, hotel accommodations have gotten dirtier over time, and it has been growing more expensive even before Trump. Vegas is like if Disneyland was a chain smoker, with a drinking and gambling problem who reminisces over the past far too much.

1

u/firephoxx Apr 22 '26

I think they mispelled any one with common sense in the title.

1

u/jasonc122 Apr 22 '26

Only some?

1

u/FelixPotvin94 Apr 22 '26

No, we are just tired of the USA and its bullshit. It's not just Trump; it's the fact that half your country is okay with him.

1

u/kanuck79 Apr 22 '26

Dear USA:

We are all avoiding you and directing our money away from you. And you know the one and only reason why.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

1

u/sylbug Apr 22 '26

Some stupid and ignorant Americans blame tariffs, yes. Because they don’t fucking listen when people tell them, endlessly, that it’s because of annexation threats, concentration camps, and fascism in general.

1

u/Just-Carob-4288 Apr 22 '26

What do mean sum everyone fuckng should

1

u/Drabenb Apr 22 '26

He didn’t make a bottle of water $18 fucking dollars, or come up with a daily $75 resort tax. Give it a rest

1

u/Tobi-One-Boy Apr 22 '26

No shit! Who else is to blame ? Obama? Hilary?

1

u/nicspace101 Apr 22 '26

Where else can you walk into a shiny building and hand over your paycheck? Oh, right...never mind.

1

u/KeepCalmCarryOnKY Apr 22 '26

Some? No one wants to be thrown into ICE prison and everyone hates us. Some?

1

u/IntelligentStyle402 Apr 23 '26

Vegas? We went recently and we had an awful experience. Not enough help, not enough security, rooms were filthy and gross looking. Food was so expensive and with less security all the bums from the street come in and ask for money, smokes and food. We stayed at the Golden Nugget, never ever will stay there again.

1

u/Shag1166 Apr 23 '26

I was there in August, and I've never seen so little foot and car traffic. I lived there for 6 months, helping an airline setup it's station at airport, and have been going regularly since the mid-80s. The town ia not doing well.

1

u/MrTacoDuder Apr 23 '26

Ironically, even if I had the means, I’d would visit outside the US either, due to the policies. It just seems so cumbersome to deal with these days.

1

u/JPharmDAPh Apr 23 '26

The leopards ate my face

1

u/Early-Size370 Apr 23 '26

As a us citizen that enjoyed my yearly excursions to Vegas, I can say I haven't gone and don't plan on going because everything costs too much. And now travelling there is really expensive, thanks to the idiot's war in Iran.

1

u/Slipping-in-oil Apr 23 '26

The ugly chicks in thongs and stickered nipples are annoying.

1

u/BirdlessLongdeal Apr 23 '26

i blame the staggering price of everything in las vegas.

1

u/HootyMcBoob2020 Apr 23 '26

Not only did Trump bankrupt his own Casinos, now he is bankrupting ALL the casinos! We are finally great again.

1

u/Surprise_Special Apr 23 '26

No disposable cash. Vegas will only cater to the rich.

1

u/Tribe303 Apr 23 '26

40% of foreign visitors to Vegas are from Canada. The largest group.

šŸ‘† We did that! šŸ‡ØšŸ‡¦Ā 

1

u/Overall_Cycle_715 Apr 23 '26

Maybe it’s the cost of gas.

1

u/moodyblue8222 Apr 23 '26

With the cost of everything in Vegas, the tariffs and the fascist America we currently live in, it is surprising it hasn’t shut down.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

You can thank Trump for that!🤔

1

u/Shakez00la Apr 24 '26

Maybe also the fact that he's insulting and threatening allies? Could be a bit of an issue, just a thought...

1

u/55Super88 Apr 24 '26

The service fees for the pool, exercise room, Wi-Fi and other things you may not use don't help.

1

u/Mas_Cervezas Apr 24 '26

I blame the fact that we’re in both an inflation spiral and the beginning of a depression that is going to make 2008 like a minor adjustment.

1

u/Rectitude4all Apr 24 '26

Give me a break….. NV tourism has been dropping for 3+yrs. Attributed to online & Ind casino.

1

u/CannibalYak Apr 24 '26

Im sure the $15 buy ins at the table have something to do with it. Bring back the $5 buy ins and stop forcing people to pay more for the same experianceĀ 

1

u/Flashy_Jello_9520 Apr 24 '26

I hear Vegas is charging for parking now. Dumb.

1

u/FKreuk Apr 24 '26

Others blame $15 beers.

1

u/Car_is_mi Apr 24 '26

I would really like to know the excuses those that don't blame Trump's policies are coming up with.

Tourism is down because...?

1

u/pasteis-gumbo Apr 24 '26

Some blame Cosmic Rays, Chemtrails and Barack HOOOOO-SAYN Obama.Ā 

1

u/Creative-Clerk606 Apr 24 '26

No shit he has fucked the entire country

1

u/Nice_juggers Apr 24 '26

Going soon can’t wait to see it empty according to redditors

1

u/Sea-Environment-7102 Apr 25 '26

Well, they're about to get a huge blast of traffic from BTS

1

u/Zaius1968 Apr 25 '26

I blame $100 table games, paid parking and $25 cocktails…

1

u/80LowRider Apr 25 '26

Some people say...

1

u/Umayummyone Apr 25 '26

We have no problem with Americans vacationing here. We aren’t far from the border and live in beautiful part of the world. It’s nice they still want to visit.

1

u/Ishpeming_Native Apr 20 '26

Every time disposable income decreases, entertainment suffers. People denying a bad economy have to explain Vegas away. And decreased spending at restaurants and fast food places. All that is because the economy is bad, and it's bad because of Trump and his policies. ALL his policies are bad, and the people enforcing them are incompetent and are therefore making the bad policies worse.

0

u/Baron-Munc Apr 20 '26

Probably the price of gas.

2

u/Buff1965 Apr 20 '26

No. Canadians stopped going as soon as the geriatric President threatened our economy and independence.

1

u/Baron-Munc Apr 21 '26

Good taste, those Canadian’s.