LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The free upgrade to a $650 Las Vegas hotel suite is nice, but Mark Anderson is still rethinking his next reservation as the Canadian Prime Minister suggests he halt all future U.S. travel.
President Trump announced on Mar. 3 the implementation of an additional 25% tariff on some imports from Canada and Mexico until the threat posed by illegal immigration and drugs, including fentanyl, is alleviated.
In response, the Canadian government announced a list of products that would face an equal 25% tariff and remain in place until the new U.S. trade measures were eliminated.
“We didn’t ask for this fight,” incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a Monday speech. “But Canadians are always regretting when someone else drops the gloves. Americans, they should make no mistake in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
The outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told citizens on Feb. 2 to cancel their U.S. trips amid the trade war, indicating the message it would send about some American cities’ reliance on Canadian tourism—such as Las Vegas.
A projected decline in Canadian tourism to the U.S. would mean more than $4 billion in losses to the economy, according to the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). A 10% reduction in travel could put 140,000 hospitality and retail jobs in jeopardy, according to USTA metrics.
Tourism is the top industry in Las Vegas, with one in eight visitors in 2024 coming in from abroad, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“Kind of surreal”
Flying in from London, Ontario, Anderson and his wife Liz said their planned trip to Las Vegas felt surreal amid talk of trade wars and tariffs.
“Our prime minister came out and said, ‘Don’t travel to the U.S. right now, stay home, spend your money in Canada,’” he said. “But we already had the trip planned.”
Anderson said he is hesitating to book his return flight to Las Vegas, which he makes three to six times a year, after the call to inaction by his government and he pointed to other factors as well.
“The Canadian dollar is weak right now,” Anderson said. “It’s 69 cents and with all the Trump tariffs and everything like that, that’s a factor.”
Two Canadian couples who also travel with Anderson and his wife made the trek this time, but he said as for future trips he wants to see how things go.
“I would definitely recommend coming to Vegas,” he said. “It’s loads of fun, everyone has a great time, you just have to be budget conscious.”
Budgeting is Anderson’s specialty as he boasts 50,000 followers through a combination of social media platforms under the handle “Pennys4Vegas.” The account offers guides for Las Vegas tourists on the best bang for their buck.
“We just wanted to share our experiences and learn from other people on Twitter and Instagram,” Anderson said.
