Las Vegas Tourism Hits More Turbulence as Airport Traffic Sinks 8%

• Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport fell 8.4% in May, adding to growing signs that overall Las Vegas tourism demand is softening
• Through the first five months of the year, airport passenger volume has shrunk 6.2% year-over-year, with the exit of budget carrier Spirit Airlines driving much of the decline
• Despite welcoming fewer total visitors, Las Vegas casinos have continued to defy the traffic slump by growing their gaming revenue through higher player spend

If passenger traffic through Harry Reid International Airport is any indication, Las Vegas’ tourism slowdown persisted in May, with fewer travelers arriving as the destination continues to adapt to softer baseline demand.

Harry Reid International Airport reports that 4.5 million people arrived and departed through LAS last month. That represents a more than 8% drop from May 2025, when nearly five million people made their way through the facility.

LAS suffered from Spirit Airlines ceasing operations on May 2.  The ultra-low-cost carrier served 511,763 passengers at Harry Reid in May 2025, but only 3,869 last month.

Spirit wasn’t the only airline to blame for the disappointing May result, as Southwest, by far Las Vegas’ largest carrier, saw its passenger volume slide 0.4%. Southwest served over 1.95 million passengers during the month.

American, the second-largest carrier in Las Vegas, reported 2.9% fewer passengers.

Tourism Indicator

Harry Reid airport traffic is one of several critical indicators of the overall health of the Las Vegas tourism industry.

On Monday (June 29), the Nevada Gaming Control Board will release May numbers for gaming revenue. The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) will then issue its May 2026 Executive Summary, including visitor volume and convention attendance numbers.

Though visitation to Las Vegas has remained subdued in 2026, down 1.8% through April, with 2026 following a year where visitor volume crashed 7.5%, gaming has remained resilient.

Previewing May, analysts expect GGR to top May 2025, when Las Vegas Strip gaming revenue totaled $713.7 million, but how much higher will largely depend on how baccarat fares. April’s numbers benefited greatly from a strong VIP hold on the banker vs. player game. If that hold normalizes, the May year-over-year GGR growth could be more marginal.

Drive-In Traffic

The LVCVA’s May report will include numbers on drive-in traffic along I-15 and I-11. Those numbers are expected to be lower, as gas prices remained high in May due to the Iran war.

In May, the average price for a gallon of regular gas across Southern California was over $6. California has the highest gas prices in the nation because of high taxes, strict environmental mandates, and a geographically isolated fuel market.