Las Vegas continues to see a summer dip in visitation numbers, with September bringing a 6.4% drop in passenger traffic through Harry Reid International Airport compared to September 2024, according to KLAS 8 News Now. The airport reported 4.45 million passengers for the month, compared with 4.75 million a year ago.
Key Takeaways
- Passenger traffic through Las Vegas airport dropped 6.4% in September.
- Canadian travel fell sharply, while European and Asian routes showed modest gains.
- Caesars Entertainment reported 90,000 empty rooms.
So far in 2025, approximately 41.5 million passengers have passed through the airport, which is nearly 2 million fewer than at the same point last year. The decline comes as analysts await updated figures for gaming revenue and overall visitation later this week.
International travel fell 13.5% in September, which is steeper than the 6.1% drop in domestic passengers. For the year, domestic traffic is down 5%, compared to a 3.3% decline in international travel.
The sharpest losses came from Canada, where Porter Airlines saw traffic fall 45.9%, WestJet at 44.3%, and Air Canada at 18.4%.
Domestic carriers were mixed. Spirit Airlines reported a 46% drop in passengers amid nationwide route cuts, while Southwest and United both gained more than 5%. Delta traffic dipped 2.1%, and American Airlines fell just over 5.3%.
Travel from Mexico produced a split result. VivaAerobus was up 28.5%, while AeroMexico declined 11.2%. The trend was more positive from Europe and Asia, with British Airways up approximately 10%, KLM surging 46.8%, and Korean Airlines rising 25.9%.
Overall, however, the data shows that Las Vegas, which relies heavily on air arrivals, is facing headwinds ahead of the slower winter season.
Caesars feels impact of empty rooms on Strip
While many large hospitality companies tried to fight the decline in tourism this summer, casino resort operator Caesars Entertainment said it recorded roughly 90,000 empty hotel rooms over the summer. Hotel rates were down about 6%, and occupancy slipped 5%.
The weaker quarter translated to lower revenues. Caesars’ Las Vegas segment brought in $952 million for the third quarter, a 10.3% decline from the same period last year. Consolidated company revenue stood at $2.87 billion, down slightly year-over-year, while earnings dropped around 12%.
Chief executive officer Tom Reeg said the downturn was expected but predicted a recovery by late 2025. Caesars also joined other Strip properties in late September for a citywide campaign organized by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to promote tourism.
Reeg has emphasized the city’s range of options, from $29 hotel rooms to high-end entertainment.
Still, industry observers say price sensitivity has become a growing issue as visitors push back against high resort fees and rising costs. While the broader Las Vegas market remains profitable, the combination of fewer flights, weaker mid-market demand, and cautious consumer spending continues to weigh on the city’s tourism engine.
