Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 25
Las Vegas Resorts Offer 30% Discount to Woo Canadians as Boycott Triggers $3.5 Million Push
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 25

Las Vegas Resorts Offer 30% Discount to Woo Canadians as Boycott Triggers $3.5 Million Push

1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 25

Summary

  • Las Vegas resorts are treating Canadian dollars at par with U.S. dollars—effectively a 30% discount—and adding free concerts by Canadian artists to win back visitors.
  • The push comes as Canadian travel to Las Vegas has slumped amid anger over Trump’s tariffs and his “51st state” taunts, with many Canadians also viewing the U.S. as an unreliable ally.
  • That dropoff has added to strain in Las Vegas hospitality: several restaurants have closed, wealthy international visitor spending has weakened, and food-and-accommodation hiring has stagnated even as other leisure jobs grew.
  • The city’s tourism office has already launched a $3.5 million campaign aimed at Canada, but local officials and industry figures say national political backlash may be too strong for promotions alone to reverse.
  • If weak numbers persist, Nevada’s Culinary Union—representing 60,000 hospitality workers—is weighing relief efforts for members, underscoring how a cross-border boycott is spilling into the local economy and politics.

Insights

Can deep discounts lure back Canadian tourists, or is the political damage to the U.S. brand now irreversible?
Is Canada's search for new trade partners a short-term tactic or a permanent break from its reliance on America?