Oct 18, 2026
Las Vegas has a Canada problem — and it’s now a campaign issue defining the platforms of those vying for a win during the Nov. 3 midterm elections. With Canadians staying away, barely half of downtown hotel rooms were filled in August, leading to politicians from city hall to Capitol Hill pleading for Canadians to come back.
For many Canadians, skipping Vegas has been a statement, an act of defiance. For others, it’s been a budget call due to the current, if suffocating, economic climate. As winter booking season arrives, plenty of would-be travellers are wondering whether it’s time to return to Sin City.
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Either way, the math hasn’t gotten easier, as a weak loonie can wipe out the savings from any shiny promotion meant to lure Canadians back.
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How big is the Canadian pullback from Las Vegas?
Canadian visits to Las Vegas fell 17.4% in 2025, according to CBC News. That drop helped drive the city’s largest visitor decline — excluding the Covid-19 pandemic — since the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the city’s tourism marketing agency, began keeping records in 1970. To add insult to injury, airport data compiled by CBC suggests Canadian carriers are bringing even fewer passengers this year.
Cross-border travel overall is recovering, albeit slowly. Statistics Canada reports that Canadians made 2.6 million return trips from the U.S. in August 2026. That’s an 8.8% increase from a year earlier — but air trips were still 22.7% below August 2024 levels.
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Why are American politicians talking about Canadian tourists?
Canada is Las Vegas’s biggest foreign market, and its absence has become a political liability, not just an economic one. Nevada’s Democratic members of Congress have linked the slump directly to what they view as divisive U.S. trade policy.
In February, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus introduced a congressional bill that would direct Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, to create a tourism working group with Canada and Mexico under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). When it was announced, Titus didn’t mince words: “President Trump has alienated Canada and Mexico through his words and policies.”
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is sponsoring the Senate version. In July, she won a commitment from Greer, a Trump appointee, to back the bill, according to the Las Vegas Sun. She emphasized that the U.S. had gone from having a travel trade surplus in 2024 to a US$14 billion deficit in 2025. The group would still need sign-off from Canada and Mexico.
Rep. Susie Lee hosted a “Trump Slump” roundtable with the Culinary Workers Union in May, where hospitality workers described shorter hours and smaller tips. Most direct of all, Mayor Shelley Berkley told Canadians last year that the city needs and misses them.
The issue is popping up in Nevada’s governor’s race as well. Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo has emphasized Nevada’s growth, while his Democratic challenger Aaron Ford blames the state’s economic pain on what he calls the “Lombardo-Trump economy,” according to the Washington Examiner.
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For Canadian travellers, this political pressure helps explain why Canada-only offers keep appearing — but are they worth it?
Why does the exchange rate matter more than the deal?
The Canadian dollar slid to its lowest level of 2026 in early October, at roughly 70 U.S. cents. At that rate, each U.S. dollar costs about C$1.43.
Using this exchange rate, a four-night trip at US$1,500 — including hotel, food and shows — would work out to roughly C$2,143 before additional fees are added. And if you pay with a standard Canadian credit card carrying a foreign transaction fee of about 2.5%, the total climbs to nearly CA$2,200.
Do Vegas promotions for Canadians actually save money?
They can, but only on part of the trip and only for a limited time. The “At Par” program offered at Circa Resort & Casino, The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino treated C$1 as US$1 on eligible hotel, drink, gaming and entertainment purchases. According to the participating casinos, it drew more than 120,000 Canadians before concluding on Aug. 31. Offers like these typically cover select purchases at participating businesses; they don’t include flights.
In March, the LVCVA also approved a three-year, US$3.5 million contract to market the city throughout Canada.
What to do now
Choosing whether to continue boycotting the U.S. is a personal decision. The financial concern is what the whole trip will cost in Canadian dollars, and whether any promotions can ease some pinch points:
- Convert every quote (hotel, flights, meals, shows) into Canadian dollars before comparing options
- Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee if you have one
- Pay in U.S. dollars at the till and decline any offer to convert to Canadian dollars, since that currency conversion usually carries a markup
- Ask properties about Canada-specific offers and read the conditions thoroughly
- Price a comparable getaway elsewhere to judge value, not habit
Vegas knows it has work to do. As Steve Hill, the LVCVA’s CEO, put it last year, the city wants Canadians back, “but we understand they may not be ready to do that.”
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Writer and editor based in Toronto with experience in personal finance, insurance, arts and culture and branded content.
