Is Las Vegas Dead? Sin City Is Becoming a Ghost Town As Tourism Continues To Decline

Despite the City of Las Vegas running out of water, nearby suburbs and cities continue to build, attracting those from neighboring states to come to work and play. Thus, with the burgeoning amount of excellent food options as well as fun things to do off the strip, the allure of Sin City is not what it once was, even just a decade ago.

Nearly every property on the Las Vegas Strip — aka unincorporated Clark County — now charges to park. Other costs, too, dissuade tourists and locals alike.

Are the rumors of Las Vegas' demise overblown, or are the growing complaints across social media platforms merited? Are Las Vegas leaders really working against themselves and contributing to the Strip's downfall, and is Las Vegas becoming a ghost town — at least compared to the glitz and glam of years past?

Indeed, as a local who has seen the growth of Las Vegas and its surrounding areas for more than two decades, the decline in tourism is startling. Keep reading to learn more.

To start, one of the most famous aspects of the Las Vegas Strip, its bevy of all-you-can-eat buffets, has dwindled down to just eight as of March 2025. The buffets that do remain are likely double or triple the price of what you likely remember from your last visit here, with declining quality and customer service to boot.

The Colorado River, too, is drying up at alarming rates, further threatening tourism on and off the strip, as well as the water supply to nearby Nevada cities.

As Southern Nevada news station KSNV reported on August 4, "through June 2025, there has been a more than 7 percent drop compared to the first six months of the previous year."

Furthermore, "Harry Reid International Airport reported a 10 percent drop in international passengers in June compared to May and the same month last year. The combined international and domestic passenger numbers fell by 4 percent."

In a July 30 article in the Las Vegas Sun, it was reported that, "400,000 fewer people traveled to Las Vegas in June compared with 2024, according to new data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority."

Add it all up, and the 11.3% drop in tourism from year to year means that 88.3% of rooms were occupied a year ago, compared to 81.9% of rooms at the same point this year, per the source.

Responding to a Reddit post in which Las Vegas is compared to a ghost town, one user commented: "They broke the compact with the common man. It was a given that you would lose the money you brought gambling, but for that, you would...eat pretty well, have a clean room, and access to a pool. Now every table limit is high, they track the drinks, food is a...5-star 'experience,' it costs to get into the pool, there’s a resort fee, with taxes."

So, is Las Vegas dying — or is it already dead? As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on August 1, the unemployment rate is now 5.8%, which ranks third "among the 50-plus metro areas with at least a million people," just behind Riverside, Calif. at 5.9%. In May, it ranked second-highest in the U.S.

With a bevy of fees that either didn't exist a few years ago or have risen precipitously, you may just think to yourself that Las Vegas is indeed a ghost town and head elsewhere next time.