Sin City in crisis? Las Vegas locals 'Freaking Out' as tourists vanish from the strip

Economic Times

14 hours ago

Las Vegas faces a tourism slump in 2025. Fewer visitors are impacting the city's economy. Casino streets are empty. Workers are experiencing a significant drop in tips. Canadian boycotts and high travel costs contribute to the decline. Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport has also decreased. The city grapples with the consequences of reduced tourism.
Empty streets and quiet casinos in Las Vegas show the sharp decline in tourism during 2025, as locals worry about the city turning into a ghost town.
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Las Vegas workers hit hard as fewer tourists visit
Nevada's tip tax law offers little help without customers
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Las Vegas, once known for its busy streets and flashy casinos, is now shockingly quiet, with some calling it a 'ghost town' on social media. Photos and videos online show almost empty roads and casino areas—a huge change for a city famous for always being alive.Locals are panicking as tourism drops hard. Las Vegas workers say they're "starting to freak out" because fewer tourists means less income. Tips for service workers are down by 50%, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on July 26. This drop has badly hit people in the hospitality and entertainment industries, as stated by Wall Street Journal.Nevada recently passed a law removing tax on tips, which should have helped workers. But locals say it doesn't matter much when there are no tourists to give tips. Charlie Mungo, a Las Vegas tattoo artist, said Canadians once made up 30% of his customers—but now they're gone, as stated by Hindustan Times.Canadians are skipping US travel and products as a protest against President Trump's 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, as per the reports.One user on X said, 'WOW! Look at Las Vegas! It's almost like a GHOST TOWN,' with a photo showing nearly empty roads. Another X user, Alex Cole, shared a photo of an empty resort lobby saying 'Las Vegas is dead bro…' He added that the streets were packed last year at the same time.Official numbers also show a clear dip. Visitor numbers in Las Vegas dropped during the first four months of 2025. Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport is also down by 4% for domestic flights in the first half of 2025, compared to last year, as stated in the report by Hindustan Times.Las Vegas is seeing fewer tourists due to high travel costs, Canadian boycotts, and overall drop in domestic travel.Yes, workers say their tips have dropped by up to 50% because fewer visitors are coming to the city.