Vegas tourism slumps as rising costs, bedbug concerns put pressure on hotels

Las Vegas is seeing a steep decline in tourism, with new data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) showing that visitor numbers dropped significantly this summer. In June alone, the city welcomed just 3.1 million tourists — an 11.3 percent decrease from the same month last year.

Hotel occupancy also took a hit, falling by 6.5p percent, while average daily room rates dipped 6.6 percent to $163.64. This slump is affecting the broader travel sector as well. Harry Reid International Airport recorded a 4.1 percent year-on-year decrease in total passengers for the first half of 2025.

Industry insiders have warned of a “soft summer,” with Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg acknowledging during an earnings call that the season has been slower than expected.

Some visitors have taken to social media to share their disappointment, describing half-empty casinos and a “different vibe” on the Strip — a far cry from the packed floors and electric nightlife Las Vegas is known for.

The slump is happening as the hospitality industry deals with another thorny issue: bedbugs. Earlier this year, three separate lawsuits were filed against two major Las Vegas resorts over alleged bedbug infestations during the summer of 2024.

Attorney Brian Virag, founder and CEO of My Bed Bug Lawyer, is representing the complainants. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Virag said his team not only wants to seek justice for the affected guests but also raise awareness about what he called a “real problem” in Vegas hotels.

“We wanted to not only make sure to represent them, but also to bring awareness that bedbugs in Las Vegas hotels are a real problem,” he told Fox News Digital.