At the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, the Resorts World complex stands as a shining example of Sin City’s legendary excess.
Built in 2021 for a staggering $4.3 billion, it is the most expensive resort in the history of Las Vegas. A palatial 88-acre complex, the property includes huge pools, innovative technology and three hotels, which combined offer 3,500 rooms.
And yet, during my visit on a recent Thursday afternoon, many of the public spaces were practically a ghost town.
I was exploring the resort while there to attend a conference. And having read so many news headlines about the Las Vegas tourism industry’s downturn in advance of my arrival, I was curious to see exactly what was going on in the city for myself.
In recent weeks and months, a steady stream of publications, including this one, have reported on the struggles of Las Vegas and many other popular U.S. destinations as international visitation to the country has slowed.
In particular, a June 2025 report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) revealed that visitor volume in Sin City has declined 11.3 percent year-over-year as of June.
The same report showed that convention attendance was down 10.7 percent for the month of June compared to the same time in 2024. Also down: room inventory (-2.3 percent), average daily rate (- 6.6 percent), RevPAR (-13.8 percent) and room nights occupied (-9.7 percent).
The slump has been attributed to various factors including souring opinion among international travelers when it comes to visiting the United States. (This is particularly true among Canadian travelers.)
The LVCVA report also attributes sluggish tourism numbers to a “broader backdrop of persistent economic uncertainty and weaker consumer confidence.” Meanwhile, consumers say Las Vegas’ soaring prices are the real culprit.
And there’s also plenty of pushback from travel industry insiders and travelers themselves, who say reports of a downturn are overblown.
Wit all of these competing narratives in mind, I recently spent three-days exploring the city. And at least when it came to prices and the lack of visitors, I found there to be plenty of truth.
Thinner Crowds and Closed Businesses
Let’s start with Resorts World.
During a break from the conference I was attending at the resort, I decided to spend some exploring all that this sprawling new complex had to offer. But I was surprised to find that no matter where I went, the resort was mostly quiet and mostly empty.
First, I made my way through the resort casino where the vast majority of tables were not in use and slot machines sat silent. There was just a cluster of tables where dealers were actually busy with guests.
Next, I walked over to the Famous Food Street Eats food court, hungry for a bite. The food court is made up of a collection of eateries designed to look like an Asian night market. But if you’ve ever actually been to an Asian night market (as I have), you’d immediately notice a stark contrast.
Night markets are vibrant, bustling, and often chaotic scenes that include crushes of people and all manner of food for sale.
But to my dismay, at the Resorts World Street Eats food court only about three or four businesses were actually open, the majority were shuttered with lights off. And the tables in the food court were largely empty. (Side note: I thought perhaps the ghost town vibe was because it was 3 p.m. in the afternoon. So, when my conference wrapped up later that day at 5:30 p.m. I visited the food court again, thinking for sure more of the food stands would be open for dinner. But the scene was exactly the same. Only a few of the food stands were open and there were barely any patrons.)
Not giving up, a explored a little further and walked over to a section of Resorts World known as The District, a cavernous indoor mall space lined by shops and restaurants. Again, nearly every business was closed and there was barely a soul around. It was eerily quiet.
To be fair, I quickly reminded myself it was a Thursday afternoon. And it was a Thursday in October, no less, which is off-season, when kids are back in school and families are not traveling as much.
But as a resident of nearby California, I’ve visited Las Vegas numerous times over the years and this recent experience stands in stark contrast to the Vegas I remember - Thursday afternoon, or not.
The Las Vegas I used to visit was crowded all the time. It was a non-stop, festive, party atmosphere. Always open, always hopping, always ready for business. The Las Vegas I saw during my recent conference trip very much aligned with the news articles I had read.
Even at the hotel where I was staying, The Venetian, the crowds were sparse in many instances. I was able to walk right into restaurants and get a seat easily. (Which was not my experience in past years.) Strolling through The Venetian's shopping area, I was often the only person in a store.
Inflation and Las Vegas
As for inflation's role in Las Vegas' current woes, here too, I found some truth to the reports I’d read in advance. I personally had sticker shock throughout my stay.
The first breakfast I ate during my visit, at The Grand Lux Cafe in The Venetian, cost $44. That price-tag was for one person, not including tip. And to be clear, my morning meal was not a Vegas after-party breakfast with wall-to-wall Mimosas or Bloody Mary’s. I had a cup of coffee, sparkling water and a bagel with salmon.
The cost of dinner was equally shocking. On my first night in town, I sat at the bar of an Asian restaurant in The Venetian and had three dim sum appetizers. (In other words, small plates, not elaborate entrees). My beverage was again, sparkling water. The tab? More than $80, before tip. That's for one person. No entree. No dessert.
Nationwide, inflation is up 2.9 percent, according to the Consumer Price Index, which tracks. And according to a local news report published by Las Vegas’ 107.5 in March, prices are indeed up in the city, at least on hotels. (The 107.5 report did not cover food.)
“Las Vegas Strip hotel rates increased notably during the first quarter of 2025, with the average price for the visitor accommodated by MGM Resorts ticking upward 3 percent, while prices for properties owned by Caesars Entertainment increased 6 percent,” the 107.5 report explained.
“January 2025 set a milestone with average nightly rates approaching $200, reflecting a 2% increase from January 2024 and a $30 rise since 2019,” the outlet added.
As for food prices, I did a little further digging, to see if my experience was off-base. I googled and found more than a few YouTube videos featuring travel influencers describing exactly what I experienced: High prices and thin crowds.
One YouTube personality says a new Las Vegas price index compiled by the Las Vegas Review Journal indicated that the average cost of a tourist weekend on The Strip has skyrocketed by 25 percent. (Though I was unable to independently confirm this.)
I also found that a reporter from The New York Times who jetted into the city in recent months to do a deep dive on Las Vegas’ current challenges found a similar situation: card tables in casinos half empty, thin crowds on Fremont Street where entertainers perform, and nightclubs with no lines of patrons waiting to get in. The prices were also a point not overlooked by The New York Times reporter, who wrote:
“Soaring prices include everything from parking to bottled water. Resort fees — typically around $50 per night on top of room rates and taxes — and the price of events at the Sphere, which opened in 2023, (tickets to “The Wizard of Oz” movie cost $109 to $349) and Allegiant Stadium (a ticket to the Las Vegas Raiders game on Sept. 28 is at least $297), have sparked an outcry that Las Vegas is too expensive."
Is There a Silver Lining?
Fewer visitors are hardly ideal for Las Vegas. Businesses small and large are feeling the impact, according to The New York Times report. And higher prices are not exactly ideal for cost-sensitive travelers.
But as one of the Las Vegas tourism officials pointed out during the conference I was in town to attend, there continues to be a Las Vegas for every budget. And when I reached out to a broader network of travel professionals, they confirmed as much. The old Las Vegas prices and bargains still exist, if you know where to look.
That means venturing beyond the iconic Las Vegas Strip, both to eat and for accommodations. Spend some time instead exploring Downtown Las Vegas where things are often a fraction of the price of The Strip.
For those who come to Las Vegas expecting to stay in the heart of the action on The Strip, however, the prices for hotels and food can be daunting.
As for the lack of crowds on certain days and times and in various parts of the city, that reality can indeed have some upsides for visitors. I was able to walk into every restaurant where I wanted to eat and immediately get a seat. I also found it more enjoyable to explore attractions without huge crowds. (Don’t miss the fascinating, immersive Arte Museum while visiting).
And really, who wants to wait in a line to get into a nightclub? If you’re looking to escape overtourism, Las Vegas in its current form, may offer an antidote.
Over the long term, however, Las Vegas will need to find a way to navigate the challenges its is facing, both in terms of bringing the crowds back and finding some way to draw down some of the costs visitors simply aren’t willing to pay.
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