Adventure tourism operators see decline in foreign visitors to Vegas | Tourism

Emmanuelle Vaugeois has been organizing multiday tours of the West for Europeans through her business, Scenic Roads, since it opened in 2018.

Travelers, mostly from France, Switzerland, Belgium and other French-speaking countries, will often book a big group for a motor coach tour through her to see some of the most scenic places in North America. But Vaugeois said she started to notice fewer bookings after the 2024 election, when public perception in some European countries shifted after President Donald Trump’s administration began discussing an immigration crackdown.

“They have the idea that right now they are not welcome in the country, so they’re not booking,” she said.

The result is an estimated 30 percent decline in revenue for her business-to-business destination management company this year – a trend she worries could continue into 2026.

Other small operators report dips this year. Brian “Paco” Alvarez, owner of startup Very, Very Vegas Tours, said last year he guided 16 tours to the Grand Canyon. This year, he’s led four.

As Las Vegas and the broader U.S. tourism market begin showing mixed patterns of softer demand, adventure tourism operators in Southern Nevada say they are experiencing those trends firsthand. They say a mix of inflation, politics and a sense that Las Vegas is no longer a travel bargain have all played into declining sales and shifting market strategies.

“It’s kind of a triple whammy,” Alvarez said. “You’ve got inflation, you’ve got the political environment, and then you have the cost of visiting Vegas.”

‘Everything is still the same’

The U.S. is the only major destination forecast to lose inbound traffic in 2025, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. International visitor spending is expected to decline by $12.5 billion this year. More recent tourism trends in Las Vegas show fewer Canadian airline passengers, with the total number of international passengers at Harry Reid International Airport down 3.8 percent in July.

“I’m trying to give a message that you are welcome,” Vaugeois said. “Everything is still the same. The Grand Canyon didn’t change. But because of the politics and the tariffs and everything, they say, ‘OK, this year I don’t want to go to the U.S. I’m good. I’m going somewhere else.’”

Other adventure tourism proprietors have seen that impact, too. At Basecamp Outdoor Gear, a camping equipment rental service focused on sustainability, owner Dolev Schreiber said a Canadian professor did not book an annual class trip this year because he didn’t have enough students enroll.

Vaugeois said she’s telling clients that America is as welcoming as ever. She said she recently attended a trade association event where they brainstormed how to fight the European inbound traveler downturn and will go to another convention later this month. She said she plans to bring American-branded swag and be part of a pro-America marketing campaign.

Fighting value perception

Others point to recent backlash to Las Vegas’ tourism slump and the growing perception that the city is getting too expensive.

Rachel Urban, owner of Bindlestiff Tours, said Las Vegas serves as the head office for her tour guide company. They plan local day trips that begin in Las Vegas and multiday tours that take small groups out to national parks in the Southwest.

Urban said local tours that may normally be added onto an existing trip to Vegas — such as guided trips to Hoover Dam and Nevada ghost towns — are in decline; fewer travelers say they can fit them into their budget.

“Because it’s so expensive with the resort fees and the food and drink fees … it’s not leaving them a lot to play with,” she said.

That changing value perception has helped her business in some ways, she said. Some travelers are choosing tours in Canada – another market Bindlestiff serves. Others may still choose a Vegas-based trip but not extend their trip to stay in town.

Rising costs for everyone

Some business owners say the economic picture is murky because of other environmental factors: For Schreiber’s camping business, the reopening of Havasupai Falls in 2023 created a big boom in her business that makes for tougher comparisons.

For others around the Grand Canyon, customer interest this summer has been affected by wildfires at the North Rim.

Schreiber said 2024 was a great year for her young business, so this June, she moved her business to a commercial plaza near Harry Reid International Airport. But the new rent and changing trends prompted her to forgo her salary and tell her four employees that she couldn’t give raises this year.

“I think that if we go by the 2023 numbers, not by the 2024 numbers, then we’ll still be OK,” she said.

Years of post-pandemic inflation also play a role, operators say. Recreation prices in August were 22 percent higher than the same month in 2019, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Urban said food costs for multiday trips have gone up, causing her company to consider raising the price of the “food kitty,” or pooled price for some meals.

“It’s just making it harder to balance the numbers with spiraling costs,” Urban said. “But no, it’s not going to affect overall business.”

Vegas and the U.S. market also may look less favorable because of currency exchange rates. Jake Tomlin, president and CEO of Papillon Helicopters and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines, said international travel has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“If you look at countries like Japan and Canada, they’re doing well above average on inbound tourism, and I believe it has to be that your dollar goes farther there right now, and they’re doing a really good job of getting that message out and inviting people in the country,” Tomlin said.

“It’s not just a national message,” he said. “It’s hotels, tour operators, transportation suppliers — is everybody on the same sheet of music? I still think it’s taking us some time to get all on the same page.”

Pivoting with the market

Tomlin said the tour business changed its market strategy when it noticed a split in demographics: value shoppers and luxury experience chasers. He said the interest in luxury travel — where customers can book private excursions, add on boat tours or charter a plane for several days — hasn’t waned, but it’s not high-volume business.

For cost-conscious shoppers, however, it’s about “how can I provide the best bang for the buck in the shortest amount of time and still get them that helicopter experience, where they may not be able to do a 90-minute helicopter experience, but maybe they can do a 30-minute tour — and then now that price point really hits with them,” Tomlin said.

Other small businesses are turning to the domestic market, where outdoor tourism has boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Schreiber, the camping gear rental owner, said she goes to local hiking groups and takes part in local politics to promote awareness of her business.

“The little I’ve done, I think, is already showing how important it is to do this outreach, because we are getting more locals in the door now,” she said.

Similarly, Alvarez said his tour marketing largely relies on word of mouth and some online travel agency partners. He’s turned his attention to domestic customers, pitching ways to travel to Las Vegas in their budget.

Alvarez said he thinks there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” as some operators launch new promotions and the country prepares for inbound international travel for the 2026 World Cup, with games held in 11 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles.

“I think there’s an opportunity there for visitors to come to this city, take a tour of the city and still visit the city without having to pay some of the exorbitant prices some of the resorts are charging,” he said.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the name of Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines.

Contact McKenna Ross at [email protected]. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.