Las Vegas just posted its best visitor numbers in a year. The famous Strip welcomed 3.26 million people in January, down only 2.2% from last year and a clear sign the long slump may finally be easing.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority released the January figures this week. After twelve straight months of bigger drops throughout 2025, the 2.2% dip marks the smallest year-over-year decline since the downturn started. Compared to January 2024, when 3.38 million visitors arrived, the city is still off by 3.5%, but the gap keeps getting narrower.
Local hotel managers and casino executives call it a turning point. One general manager on the Strip told me the mood in morning meetings has shifted from worry to cautious optimism for the first time in over a year.
Conventions Save the Month
January always leans on big trade shows, and this year they delivered. Convention attendance jumped almost 7% to 672,100 people.
The heavy hitters showed up strong:
- CES drew 148,000 attendees, the giant electronics show that fills every hotel room for a week
- World of Concrete brought 58,000 construction pros
- SHOT Show, the massive firearms industry event, added another 53,000
Those three events alone packed mid-week hotel occupancy near 95% even while weekend leisure travel stayed softer than usual.
Hotel Rooms Tell the Real Story
Average daily room rate hit $198 in January, up 4% from last year. Occupancy across the valley reached 81.3%, a solid number for the slowest month of the year.
On the Strip itself, weekend occupancy topped 90% thanks to the convention crowds. Midweek numbers still lag, but the gap between weekend and weekday performance is the smallest it has been in eighteen months.
What Changed in 2025
Last year hurt. Rising airfares, stubborn inflation, and fewer flights from several big cities kept leisure travelers away. Group bookings also suffered when companies cut budgets.
The recovery signs now come from two places. First, convention organizers locked in dates years ago and stuck to them. Second, airlines added seats back on key routes starting late 2025, especially from California and Texas.
The Road Back Looks Real
February already has the NFL Pro Bowl and Super Bowl week on the calendar. March brings the return of March Madness crowds now that sports betting is fully part of the experience.
Gaming revenue on the Strip grew 3.1% in January even with fewer visitors, proof that the people who did come spent more freely. That combination of steady convention business and higher spend per guest gives Las Vegas something it has missed for months: momentum.
The city that never sleeps still has empty seats on some weeknights, but the bleed has slowed to a trickle. After a painful 2025, Las Vegas finally sees light at the end of the tunnel, and the numbers back it up.
