Published on: March 9, 2026, 01:39h.

Updated on: March 9, 2026, 01:39h.

• The LVCVA board is set to decide on a $6 million contract with a Canadian marketing firm on Tuesday
• This five-year agreement aims to boost Canadian tourism numbers that have been declining
• Last year saw a 24% drop in Canadian tourist visits due to political and tariff-related tensions
  

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On March 10, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) will evaluate a potential investment of up to $6 million to reinvigorate Canadian tourism, which accounts for 25% of international visitors to Las Vegas. This funding would be allocated for an extensive series of campaigns over five years, orchestrated by Reach Global Marketing based in Toronto, which has represented the LVCVA for two decades.

This initiative comes following a dramatic decline in Canadian tourist numbers—24% last year (approximately 200,000 fewer tourists) compared to 2024. This decline, surpassing even the pandemic’s impact, includes a 36.9% drop in flight availability on Air Canada and a 43.8% decrease in traffic with Porter Airlines, alarming both tourism officials and significant casino entities.

This decline represents a notable contrast to Las Vegas’ overall tourism decrease of 7.5% from 2024 to 2025, correlating to an estimated loss of $200 million in visitor expenditure.

The root of the issue lies in the negative perceptions of U.S. policies and remarks, particularly from President Donald Trump. A July 2025 study by Longwoods International revealed that 63% of Canadian travelers were less inclined to visit the United States because of its political climate. Among these, 80% pointed to tariffs as a major deterrent, while 71% opposed Trump’s notion of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. By February 2026, while sentiment had slightly improved, safety concerns and tariff tensions continued to pose challenges.

The LVCVA’s prolonged presence in Canada through Reach underscores the critical need for this proposed initiative, which embodies the urgency of the circumstances.

As outlined in the proposed agreement, Reach would secure $1.12 million for fiscal 2027, $1.16 million for fiscal 2028, and $1.12 million for fiscal 2029. The remaining $2.53 million is reserved for two optional extensions until June 30, 2031, involving support for airlines, leisure sales, trade relations, and consumer-focused public relations campaigns.

Local businesses have also devised their own strategies; for instance, Circa, the D Las Vegas, and Golden Gate initiated an “At Par” promotion, allowing Canadian visitors to redeem their currency at favorable U.S. rates until August 31, 2026. Although this offer has shown slight progress in revitalizing downtown tourism, analysts warn that financial incentives alone may not mitigate deeper political concerns.

The LVCVA informed Casino.org that they could not comment prior to the board meeting on March 10.