Las Vegas is still chasing its pre-pandemic “normal,” but rising prices, job losses, and a narrow tourism image suggest the city’s biggest challenge isn’t attracting visitors; it’s convincing them to come back. Drops in tourism may seem small on paper, but translate into hundreds of millions of dollars that would normally flow through hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and local shops being lost

Heading by Victoria Lebedyeva[/infographic]In 2019, Las Vegas welcomed about 42.5 million visitors, but that number dropped to around 19 million in 2020 when travel halted due to COVID-19. Visitor volume has slowly climbed back up to about 41.7 million in 2024. Although visitor numbers have climbed close to pre-pandemic levels, Las Vegas has not fully regained its former stability. Tourism models centered largely on adult entertainment continue to limit the city’s appeal, making repeat visits and family travel less likely.

“Las Vegas should start offering more things for kids and teens because, for example, my family usually says that Las Vegas is a 21+ city,” senior Dezani Borner said. “There is not much for kids to do. Because of that, I feel like [if] there were more things for kids to do [along with activities for adults], we could have more tourists and families [visit].”

Recent visitor reports from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority show that while the number of families coming to Las Vegas with their kids is slowly increasing, they remain one of the smallest groups of tourists to visit Vegas. Travel coverage continues to debate whether there are enough activities for kids and teens beyond a limited but expanding list of family attractions, reinforcing ideas that more youth-friendly options could help draw additional tourists.

“My brother was working at Jaleo by Chef José Andrés, and he was laid off due to low tourism and low costs, affecting his job,” senior Ryder Cantwell said. “[Later] he put more forces into school, did an internship program at UNLV with Sarah Casino, which took him on the path of a card dealer. He has been happier in the casino industry, and with his degree in business, he will be able to climb up the ranks in the hotel industry.”

In 2024, Nevada’s tourism industry supported about 436,000 jobs, or roughly 28% of jobs in the state. Tourism generates about one-third of the state’s general funds revenue, which helps pay for public services like schools, roads, police, and parks. This means that fluctuations in tourism don’t just affect hotels and casinos; they directly impact the livelihoods of residents, the stability of public services, and the affordability of daily life.

“I feel like the city needs to adjust costs,” Video Production Teacher Ernaso Zita said. “Even something as small as a bottle of water costing $13 makes visitors think twice. Before, Las Vegas offered experiences you couldn’t get anywhere else, like casinos and shows, which felt worth the price. Now, with so many expenses just to get through the day, it’s harder to attract tourists and families.”

As visitor numbers struggle to return fully to pre-pandemic levels, fewer tourists translate into fewer jobs, tighter budgets for essential services, and increased economic strain on locals, making the challenge of recovery more than just a matter of headline visitor statistics. Impacts can be seen in individual experiences, such as job loss in the hospitality industry, career shifts, and changes in family income, highlighting how deeply tourism trends affect everyday life.

“Even though COVID happened almost six years ago, it still affected Las Vegas because fewer visitors meant fewer jobs,” Cantwell said. “Many people are still experiencing lower employment and income, which limits travel and spending on entertainment, showing how the pandemic’s effects linger in the city’s economy.”

Those lingering impacts are evident in a tighter job market: in November 2025, the Las Vegas area’s unemployment rate was 5.5% higher than the national average, and the region has lost thousands of jobs over the past year, especially in hospitality and retail. With more people working part‑time or in lower‑paying roles, households cut back on spending, forcing businesses to raise prices and deepening the squeeze on renters, families, and service‑industry workers.

“I believe that job security significantly influences corporate assets, particularly in the hospitality and culinary industries,” Zita said. “In contrast, the video industry relies more on freelance work, which makes job security less relevant there. However, in more stable corporate roles and within the tourism sector, many jobs have been lost due to the decline in tourism. This situation highlights how critical job security is in these fields.”

The tourism industry paid about $2.4 billion in tourism-specific taxes in 2024, generating nearly $100 billion in total economic activity for the state, making it Nevada’s largest industry. Other major industries include mining, which contributes billions in mineral production and jobs, and growing sectors such as technology, manufacturing, renewable energy, and outdoor recreation that together help diversify the state’s economic base.

“[People are not coming to Vegas] lately because we have been more in the news and not for the best reasons,” Cantwell said. “A lot of people are not traveling as much due to the economy and cost of living in the world, with high prices and tariffs, people are trying to conserve money where [they] can, and traveling less is one of the first major options to conserve money.”

Over the past year, the Las Vegas metro area has welcomed about 53,000 new residents in the past year alone, reaching nearly 3 million total, with a 1.84% annual growth rate fueled by domestic migration, job opportunities, and housing appeal. While population growth can help revitalize local businesses and support the labor force, it also adds pressure to housing, transportation, and public services issues that are magnified when tourism, the city’s largest economic driver, remains at its lowest since 2020. The challenge for Las Vegas is balancing this influx of new residents and a tourism industry that still struggles with rising costs and a narrow image, so the city can sustain both its workforce while still appealing to visitors.

“Without tourism, things might get more expensive,” Borner said. “Las Vegas is a city that lives off of tourism because we have so much money coming in, because of the amount of money being spent to come and visit. The way it might affect daily life is that it will create fewer paying jobs, [making] it harder to survive here in Las Vegas.”