Las Vegas sees 1% growth as US tourism flounders

Las Vegas might be seeing the end to its slump, as a new revenue report shows it grew 0.9% in June. The Strip in particular has been hit for months with a lack of visitors, gamblers, and ultimately, money. June saw a year-on-year climb to $765.3 million, just ending the slump under one percent.

Slots were up, however. The report shows that they’d risen by 10% to $420.2 million, but table games are down by 20%. Sportsbooks grew to $20.4 million, with 47% year-on-year growth.

That said, the report doesn’t tell the whole story. Las Vegas has been impacted by the lack of tourism since the second Trump administration took over. With tourism falling as the Trump regime makes traveling unsafe for a good portion of the population, it’s not a surprise that Las Vegas has been affected too.

US tourism saw a decline to 15.92 million overseas visitors as of June, which is a 1.2% drop. This has been the case for months, with regular drops from inbound travellers. In June itself, the 2.8 million visitors were actually a drop of 3.4%.

Changes in US immigration and travel policies during the Trump administration have coincided with a noticeable decline in international tourism. Some travelers have reported being denied entry over social media activity, and there have been instances of individuals on tourism visas being detained by immigration authorities.

Currently, travel to the country, including destinations like Las Vegas, may pose additional challenges for some international visitors. Visa requirements have been updated, and the introduction of a $250 “visa integrity fee” has added to the cost, potentially discouraging some travelers from making the trip.

Las Vegas workers also rely heavily on the tipping culture in the US. With fewer tourists and US citizens hurting for cash, these workers have seen their income shrivel.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that service workers are having a tough time right now. Even though a Trump policy is supposed to help with taxes on tips, the problem is that there just aren’t enough customers around to leave any tips in the first place.

The post Las Vegas sees 1% growth as US tourism flounders appeared first on ReadWrite.