“You’ve got friends in the desert”: Las Vegas courts Canadians amid visitation decline

What happens in Vegas still stays in Vegas, but amid declining visitation, Las Vegas is reminding Canadians why the destination still delivers.

Speaking during the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s eastern Canada mission at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto on Thursday (Apr. 23), tourism leaders stressed Canada remains a priority market even as visitation slipped.

“We know how important Canadian visitation is to the destination,” said Fletch Brunelle, chief marketing officer at the LVCVA.

Canada has typically been Las Vegas’s top international source market, accounting for 25 per cent of annual international visitation. 

In 2025, however, Canada slipped to the number two spot, with visitation down 18 per cent, though the destination still welcomed 1.2 million Canadian visitors.

Las Vegas saw visitation decline overall, receiving 38.5 million visitors in 2025, down about 7.5 per cent year over year.

“Any loss or decline is meaningful to us,” said Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and SVP at MGM Resorts International. 

“From an industry leadership standpoint, we’re here to tell [advisors] how vital they all are to what we do and the breadth of what we have to offer.”

Air Canada maintains Vegas capacity 

Air Canada says Las Vegas remains an important market for both leisure and corporate travel.

“We’re very happy to serve this staple of the U.S. from a leisure and corporate perspective,” said Yazdan Bakhtiary, partner, regional sales at Air Canada.

The airline operates daily service from Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, using a mix of mainline and Rouge aircraft. 

Bakhtiary said Air Canada hopes to convert all Rouge aircraft serving the route to Boeing 737-8 MAX jets by the end of 2026.

“It’s a much-needed upgrade and we look forward to having entertainment on all of those flights,” he said.

Air Canada Vacations, meanwhile, is promoting a hold option that allows advisors to reserve Las Vegas packages beyond 28 days with no money down.

“I think this is the only time that travel agents want prices to go up,” joked Bruce Parkinson, key account manager at Air Canada Vacations.

“After you put that on hold, you pray that it goes up, because then you’ve locked in that price for your clients. They can’t get it again, but you have it locked in.”

Air Canada schedule

YUL-LAS — up to 10 weekly flights

YYZ-LAS — up to 14 weekly flights

YVR-LAS — up to 14 weekly flights

At-par pricing draws Canadians

Circa Resort & Casino is leaning into Canadian demand with an at-par pricing campaign.

“The most important thing for me is to let Canadians know that you’ve got friends in the desert,” said Derek Stevens, founder and CEO of Circa Resort & Casino. 

“Canadians are our best friends, our best allies and…we miss them."

The promotion includes hotel stays, bars at the company’s three hotels and up to $500 in slot play.

Stevens said the campaign has driven a sharp spike in Canadian traffic, with more than 50,000 Canadian visitors over the past three months, compared with roughly 5,000 per month historically.

“I fully understand that now might not be the right time for everyone to visit, but for others, it is, and I’m glad we put the offer out there,” he said.

LVCVA executives said investments in trade and consumer campaigns continue across Canada through partners including Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Expedia.

More than gaming

Las Vegas leaders emphasized how much the destination has evolved beyond casinos.

“Back when I started in the industry in 1985, our market was 20 per cent non-gaming and 80 per cent gaming. Now that’s been flipped,” said Brunelle.

Gaming remains an important revenue driver, with record-breaking growth in 2025, but entertainment is increasingly drawing new visitors, from Sphere residencies by the Backstreet Boys and Metallica to Taylor Swift concerts at Allegiant Stadium.

“The non-gaming components are what really drive new eyeballs into visitation,” said Brunelle.

Las Vegas is also positioning itself as a growing sports hub.

The Athletics are set to move from Oakland in 2028 into a new 33,000-seat stadium on the Strip. 

A proposed $10-billion, 60,000-seat project near the south Strip is being designed for MLS, Las Vegas Lights FC, and concert use. 

Las Vegas will also host the Super Bowl in 2029, with rumours continuing around a possible NBA expansion team.

“Who would have thought that we would become an intersection for three major professional sporting events within one block?” said Glanzer.

“For very affordable ticket prices, people can go and get a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

An evolving skyline

Las Vegas continues to see a steady stream of hotel and venue development.

Properties such as MGM recently underwent a $300-million renovation, while the Venetian has completed a full remodel. 

The former Cromwell, owned by Caesars Entertainment, is set to be remodelled into a Vanderpump Hotel by June, featuring 188 rooms. 

A Hard Rock Hotel with 3,000 suites is also planned for the site of the former Mirage volcano, with a 542-foot guitar-shaped tower that will include 700 rooms.

The culinary scene in Las Vegas continues to evolve, particularly at MGM Resorts, which has added a range of restaurants across price points, including Carbone Riviera, where guests dine overlooking the Bellagio fountains, and Gymkhana, a two-Michelin-starred British-Indian restaurant.

“The continued evolution of the destination is astonishing and we continue to reinvent,” said Brunelle.

“We know the struggles with the U.S. and current geopolitical issues, and are making sure people know Vegas is still the adult getaway that gives you the freedom to be yourself."

That message, leaders said, is also tied to the destination’s value proposition for Canadian travellers and advisors.

“The seamlessness that the city has to offer is very important to us,” said Glanzer.

“From all-inclusives to the luxury end, pace and occupancy is very strong, these things have not slowed. There’s something for everyone at every price point.”

MAIN IMAGE: Yazdan Bakhtiary, Air Canada Vacations; Laura Hernandez, LVCVA Canada; David Han, LVCVA Canada; Diego Gantiva, LVCVA Canada; Valene Valdez, Venetian; Robin Hudgens, Resorts World; Brea Williams, LVCVA; Karly Melo, LVCVA Canada; Fletch Brunelle, LVCVA; Stephanie Glanzer, MGM Resorts International; Derek Stevens, Circa Resort & Casino; Natalee Griego, Sphere; Michael Printy, Circa Resort & Casino; Molly Castano, LVCVA; Jennifer Berkos, Fontainebleau Las Vegas; Sara Puliafico, MGM Resorts International; Eloy Enriquez, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas; Bruce Parkinson, Air Canada Vacations; Kenna Anavisca, Caesars Entertainment; Jessica Smid, TravelBrands; Andrea Di Profio, Porter Airlines;  Melissa Harley, West Jet Vacations; Shannon Cunningham, West Jet Vacations; Charmaine Singh, LVCVA Canada

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