According to a report by the American political news website POLITICO on May 25, a trade war launched by Trump is unexpectedly destroying Las Vegas’s “money bags.”<\/p>\n
Due to Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canada and his repeated provocative remarks, Canadians, who make up half of Las Vegas’s foreign visitors, are launching an unprecedented “mass boycott.” The latest data released on May 25 local time shows that the number of Canadian tourists visiting Las Vegas plummeted by 17% last year after Trump imposed tariffs on Canada.<\/p>\n
This shortfall directly led to a 7.5% year-on-year decrease in the city’s total tourist arrivals, marking the worst performance since records began in 1970, excluding the pandemic period.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump implemented reckless tariff policies, and in retaliation, Canadians are voting with their feet, collectively boycotting travel to the United States,\u201d Nevada Democratic Representative Susie Lee bluntly stated. Her district is in the heart of Las Vegas and is a top target for Republicans in the November midterm elections.<\/p>\n
In fact, Nevada doesn’t have the manufacturing or agricultural sectors directly impacted by tariffs like the Midwest, but its core “export product” is services. Canadians typically make up 25% to 50% of Las Vegas’s expatriate market, and they stay longer and have greater spending power. To put it bluntly, this is no longer just a trade dispute between two countries; it has evolved into a high-stakes gamble concerning the political landscape of Nevada. Democrats are working hard to convince voters that the decline of Las Vegas is a direct consequence of Trump’s policies. However, White House spokesman Kush Desai refuted this, emphasizing that “the vast majority of Las Vegas visitors are Americans,” and stating that the Trump administration is committed to unleashing economic growth through tax cuts and deregulation. The Republican National Committee countered that Democratic lawmakers’ previous vote against a bill that included a “tip tax exemption” provision was the real culprit behind the soaring cost of living in Nevada.<\/p>\n
Ironically, this “patriotic anger” is difficult to quell through advertising and public relations. Despite the Las Vegas Tourism Authority’s recent $3.5 million marketing campaign targeting the Canadian market, and even some resorts offering attractive discounts of “Canadian dollars equal to US dollars” (equivalent to a 30% discount), the results have been far from satisfactory.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanadians aren\u2019t coming like they used to. Want to know why?\u201d Nevada Republican Congressman Mark Amodei said with a wry smile. \u201cThe communication on tariff policy has really fallen short.\u201d The ripple effects of this tourist loss are already evident on the streets of Las Vegas. In recent months, several long-established restaurants in Las Vegas have closed, all citing declining customer traffic.<\/p>\n
Andrew Woods, an economist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, points out that while employment in the entertainment industry has rebounded, hiring in the restaurant and accommodation sectors has stalled. Ted Papageorgh, secretary general of Nevada\u2019s powerful Culinary Union, said that if tourist numbers continue to decline this year, the union will have to provide food, utilities, and rent assistance to tens of thousands of chefs and room attendants, as it did during the pandemic. He revealed that union members have already lost \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of hours of work this year due to restaurant closures and reduced shifts.<\/p>\n
It’s worth noting that Trump had previously joked about making Canada the “51st state” of the United States, a statement that thoroughly angered his northern neighbour. According to a POLITICO poll in February, most Canadians now consider the United States an “unreliable ally.” The Nevada election is currently neck-and-neck. Republican frontrunner Marty O’Donnell, once sceptical of tariffs, has now become a staunch supporter of Trump’s trade policies, calling them a “brilliant negotiating tool.”<\/p>\n
He believes voters are less concerned with tariffs and more concerned with inflation and the cost of living. In fact, besides the looming threat of tariffs, the surge in energy prices triggered by the situation with Iran has also pushed US inflation to a three-year high. A recent CNN poll shows that 77% of American voters believe Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their communities.<\/p>\n
Whether Las Vegas can rebound in the upcoming peak tourist season, whether Trump’s tariff policies will ultimately lead to the Republican Party losing the crucial seat in Nevada, and whether the “boycott wave” in Canada will further expand, remain to be seen. This game, played off the gambling table, may have a cost heavier than any single bet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"