Las Vegas Tourism Slows, But Group and Convention Travel Offers Hope for Recovery

Published on November 4, 2025

The slow summer months did not help Las Vegas’ performance on the 2024 visitor forecasts as they entered fall. In the estimation of the hotel and casino officials, the city has endured challenges with the economy and tourism, but there are rational expectations for the future, buoyed by the expected increase in groups and convention travellers.

In September, Las Vegas posted 8.8 per cent fewer visitors, the city’s 9th consecutive year of declines in the same month. The eighth month of the year has been especially difficult and has received the most blame for the continued underperformance in the economy, airline travel, and visitor expenditure. In spite of this, the Las Vegas tourism operators are banking on a convention-led recovery in the last three months of the year.

The number of visitors and the average hotel occupancy rate have dropped simultaneously.

Las Vegas has been registering fewer visitors for a continuous number of months, with the last September, the worst in years, registering the 8th consecutive year-on-year decline. This follows a summer that was quite disappointing, with a sizable gap on both the domestic and international travel fronts.

Hotel occupancy rates for October similarly did not achieve the metrics preset for 2024, as the city continues to deal with a much slower recovery from the pandemic. As indicated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), even though there was a considerable surge in hotel reservations coinciding with centrepieces, the occupancy rates recorded for the pre-winter fill periods remained below the expected estimates for that specific season in the year.

The absence of large tourism centerpieces in the summertime was one of the reasons contributing to the downfall in hotel room reservations, with the higher-end and mid-tier city hotels reporting a shocking occupancy slump, whereas lower-end and non-chain city hotels were performing relatively better as a result of their competitive pricing.

Decreased Volume of Domestic Airline Travel

Besides the reduction of the influx of tourists, airline travel to and from Las Vegas for the month of September was also perturbed. The flight economy for the city is being influenced by the sluggish economy and the rampant fuel inflation, which has subsequently increased flying rates. There appears to be a change in the behavior pattern of consumers, whereby budget-conscious travelers tend to consider cheaper domestic destinations.

Convention and corporate travel, which constitutes a large share of the tourists crossing the borders for a visit, has not bounced back as strongly as the previous years because there has been a substantial cutdown in the number of physical meetings and there is also a shift towards remote meetings.

Prospects for a Rebound by the End of the Year

The ongoing dip does not cloud the anticipations of germinators of the hotel and casino sector in Las Vegas. To them, the fourth quarter of 2025 will mark a tourist resurgence. Many believe that the rocession of the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a resurgence in group tourism and trade shows, in addition to large marketing. This will cause a bounce back in the aforementioned sectors, in addition to targeting the pent-up.

The resurgent emphasis on business-centric travel and tourism will deliver an influx of attendees to Las Vegas from the U.S. and beyond. This will be especially true with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and similarly scaled technology and business conclaves positioned on the calendar.

Moreover, pre-holiday travel will ramp the inflow of domestic tourists to Las Vegas. This will be on the back of a slew of exciting new marketing targeting the festive season which includes offers, where the New Year represents a distinct flagship. sweet. This is further emphasised by the active ambitions of premium class casino-hotels, aiming to double-up on the season throughput.

Concentrate on Group and Convention Travel

The recovery from summer’s downturn impacts the importance of group and business travel. In the summer and fall, the hotel industry in Las Vegas is working to win over MICE business as well as large meetings and conferences. The MICE business has always been very important to Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Convention Centre is still one of the biggest in the world, and the rest of the city has been strategically upgrading hotels to meet the increasing demand. Even during lower periods of business travel, the city’s infrastructure, transportation, and geography make it a very desirable location for large meetings and events.

Marketing Flexibility and the Resilience of Tourism

In response to this, Las Vegas has developed several marketing programs in an effort to increase attendance from both domestic and international visitors. The purpose has been to attract and promote the city as a venue for major events, entertainment, and seasonal visitors to help rekindle interest in the city.

Recovery efforts for Las Vegas include enhanced collaboration with international travel agents to attract visitors from Europe and Asia, as well as improving air travel connectivity and developing travel packages.

Promotion of responsible travel and eco-friendly practices as part of a more sustainable tourism policy has also contributed to helping Las Vegas attract a wider array of visitors.

Policy Outlook: Anticipating Revival of Las Vegas’ Tourism Sector

The rebound is likely to result from renewed group travel, convention attendance, and a scheduled holiday entertainment program. In synergy with leisure travel, the business travel market has grown, comfortably positioning Las Vegas for sustained recovery post-pandemic.

To strengthen Las Vegas’ position as a primary business and leisure travel nexus, added focus on luxury services and sustainable travel, along with ecosystem partnerships, will ensure protection of the city’s tourism icon status.