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- Trump’s latest proposed tariffs and Truth Social posts have ignited simmering tensions with Canada.
- Las Vegas is one of many US tourist destinations feeling the effects of Canadian travel boycotts.
- Las Vegas hotels are offering special promotions to court Canadian visitors.
Despite President Donald Trump’s Truth Social declaration that “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” on Monday, Las Vegas is doing its best to court visitors from Canada as it grapples with plummeting Canadian tourism.
The casino and convention hub is particularly vulnerable to Canadian calls to boycott travel to the US, as Canada has historically been Las Vegas’ largest international source market. In 2025, when Trump imposed tariffs and repeatedly expressed his desire to annex Canada as the 51st state, about 18% fewer Canadians visited Las Vegas than the year before — a decline of roughly 250,000 visitors.
That contributed to declines in tourism spending and gambling, putting millions of dollars in revenue — and the jobs it supports — at risk. Strip casinos’ gaming revenue fell about 4% in fiscal 2025, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, but has rebounded modestly in 2026, helped by increasing business travel, conventions, and major events.
As the city looks to build on that momentum, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority embarked on a sales mission in Western Canada in mid-August, meeting with 100 Canadian travel agents in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
At the kickoff event, LVCVA CEO Steve Hill had a clear message: “We’re here to make sure you know that we care about Canada,” he told travel advisors, reported the Canadian travel news outlet OpenJaw. “We know that Canada loves Las Vegas. We love Canada right back!”
While Hill said the high-end market is holding up, the overall decline in visitors has prompted Las Vegas hotels and tourism authorities to get creative to win back Canadian visitors.
‘We want to welcome them back’
Since January 2026, the Circa Resort and Casino, the D Las Vegas, and the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, all under the Circa Hospitality Group, have offered a “Vegas At Par” promotion where Canadian dollars go further. These hotels are in Downtown Las Vegas, about 2 miles north of the Strip near Fremont Street.
Instead of the current exchange rate of $1 CAD to $0.72 USD, the properties offer a more favorable 1:1 exchange of $1 CAD to $1 USD. The promotion, available through August 31, has attracted over 75,000 Canadian tourists and generated $15 million in slot coin-in, the hotels said in a statement.
Circa is also offering Canadian guests a discounted $75 helicopter tour of the Strip through a partnership with Papillon Helicopters, down from the regular $129 price.
Circa Hospitality Group did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about whether it plans to extend the promotions.
MGM Resorts International is also trying to entice travelers with deals: Its Luxor and Excalibur hotels, for example, are running an all-inclusive special for two people for $330, including meals and entertainment.
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“We want to remind our friends in Canada that we’re still here, and we understand the concerns they have, but we’re continuing to make the city better every day,” MGM Resorts CEO & president Bill Hornbuckle told travel advisors, per OpenJaw. “We want to welcome them back as soon as they’re ready to come.”
Hornbuckle said luxury properties are doing well as people book for entertainment and sporting events: “We are seeing improvement in numbers for the upper-end of the market who are motivated by events, for instance, [Formula 1],” he said.
Air Canada is also targeting Canadian travelers with discounted Las Vegas flight-and-hotel packages. It’s offering 35% off select Las Vegas packages through September 28, with discounts available at 35 hotels, including The Venetian, Caesars Palace, and the Bellagio.
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