Nevada Senator Cortez Masto highlights concerns for Las Vegas over Trump’s tariffs
With concerns growing on how US President Donald Trump’s tariffs will damage tourism to Las Vegas, US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has called on the Trump administration to provide their plan to mitigate the economic stress caused by the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other executive actions. The Senator especially expressed concern about these efforts and their harms to the Nevada, and broader US, travel and tourism industry.
Nevada is one of the top five states most visited by international travelers, and the industry makes up nearly 16 percent of the state’s economy, generating $23.6bn in total income. As of 2024, more than 300,000 Nevadans are employed by the tourism industry, including more than 60,000 union members.
The Senator highlighted that a 10 per cent fall in Canadian tourism to the United States would result in 14,000 people losing their jobs and a $2.1bn deficit in tourism spending.
“Among the Trump Administration’s unclear executive orders, actual and threatened executive actions, and the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there has been no transparency about the negative impacts these actions will have on the United States,” wrote the Senator. “These efforts have resulted in damaging trade policies, frozen federal funding, a gutted federal workforce, and have extended Presidential authority beyond legal limits, all creating real consequences for working families, small businesses, and industries. I cannot stress enough the need for the Trump Administration to seriously consider the devastating impacts your actions are having on our nation’s tourism economy.”
“Because of the lack of transparency regarding the negative impacts of the Trump Administration’s actions, I am writing to underscore a concern about these efforts and their harm on our nation’s travel and tourism sector, request information on how you are mitigating the economic stress, and offer solutions,” continued the Senator. “It is a fact that the travel industry is seeing a noticeable decrease in room bookings, business travel, and recreational visits from both domestic and international travel. This sector is fundamental to my home state of Nevada and its hundreds of thousands of hardworking men and women who work in events, entertainment, and hospitality.”
The travel and tourism industry represents 2.5 per cent of the national Gross Domestic Product and supports over 15 million American jobs. Travel experts estimate the number of people arriving to the US from abroad to decline by 9.4 per cent in 2025 and travel spending to fall 12.3 per cent, resulting in a $22bn annual loss nationally. The domestic travel industry has seen devastating impacts as well – in February, US consumer spending on air travel dropped 10 per cent and spending on hotels dropped 6 percent relative to a year ago.
