Publication Date: June 26, 2026, 03:24h.
Updated on: June 26, 2026, 03:24h.
- Passenger numbers at Harry Reid International Airport decreased by over 8% in May, indicating a continued slowdown in Las Vegas tourism demand.
- Year-to-date through May, the airport’s traffic is down 6.2% year-on-year, attributed to the exit of Spirit Airlines and reduced activity from major airlines.
- Despite a drop in visitor numbers, Las Vegas casinos have successfully increased their gaming revenues.
The ongoing decline in passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport suggests that Las Vegas is still struggling with weakened tourism demand, as evidenced by a lower influx of travelers in May.
Last month, Harry Reid International Airport recorded approximately 4.5 million passengers, marking an over 8% reduction compared to May 2025 when nearly five million individuals traveled through.
Domestic traveler numbers fell by 8.6% compared to the previous year, while international flights decreased by 5.7%. The cumulative passenger count from January to May at LAS is around 21.5 million, down by 6.2%—equating to a loss of 1.42 million travelers.
LAS’ decline included the discontinuation of Spirit Airlines on May 2, which had catered to 511,763 passengers at Harry Reid in May 2025, but only supported 3,869 last month.
Spirit wasn’t solely responsible for the disappointing figures in May; Southwest Airlines, the primary carrier in Las Vegas, reported a slight reduction of 0.4% in its passenger traffic, servicing over 1.95 million travelers during the month.
American Airlines, the second-largest operator in Las Vegas, noted a 2.9% decline in passengers.
Tourism Significance
Traffic at Harry Reid Airport serves as a key metric for assessing the overall wellbeing of Las Vegas’ tourism sector.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board will announce the gaming revenue figures for May on Monday, followed by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) releasing its Executive Summary for May 2026, detailing visitor counts and convention participation statistics.
While Las Vegas has experienced a decline in visitor numbers in 2026, down 1.8% as of April, this follows a previous year with a significant drop of 7.5%. Notably, gaming revenue has shown resilience during this period.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) along the Las Vegas Strip rose by nearly 7% in April, despite a 1.8% reduction in overall visitors. For the year-to-date through April, GGR on the Las Vegas Strip is up by 1.9%, exceeding $2.9 billion.
As for May, the month faced a challenging year-over-year comparison since May 2025 included an additional Saturday.
Nonetheless, analysts project GGR for May will exceed the $713.7 million recorded in May 2025, although the extent of the increase largely hinges on the performance of baccarat. April’s figures were positively influenced by a strong hold for VIP bets in the banker versus player game. If that normalizes, the growth in May’s year-over-year GGR might be less pronounced.
Traffic from Nearby Areas
The LVCVA’s report for May will also encompass statistics on traffic from nearby regions via I-15 and I-11. These numbers are projected to be lower, impacted by elevated gas prices during May due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in Iran.
In May, the average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline in Southern California surpassed $6. California’s gas prices are the highest in the nation, driven by high taxes, strict environmental regulations, and a geographically isolated fuel market.