With the U.S. dollar experiencing a recent surge in value in comparison to international currency, international travel to Las Vegas might feel a pinch.
Many international locations have experienced recent economic downturns, with China being the most prominent example. During the past two years, baccarat gaming revenues on the Las Vegas Strip have been in a steady decline, as Chinese tourists come in fewer numbers.
Part of the reason fewer Chinese are coming is due to a recent governmental crackdown on corruption and gambling trips among its citizens. But the relative strength of the dollar compared to other national currencies has foreign tourists counting their pennies while in Las Vegas.
Among some of the more prominent international locales, the Canadian dollar is worth only 77 cents in the U.S., which is down some 25 percent from 2012, according to currency converter side xe.com.
The English Pound is down 24 percent in value, at $1.30, while the euro has taken a 23 percent tumble, to $1.11.
The Mexican Pesos has taken an even steeper fall, at 38 percent since 2013, and is worth just 5 cents in U.S. currency.
Likewise, passenger travel from those locations also is down.
Canada’s top international airline, WestJet Airlines, says its passenger travel to Las Vegas is down by 11 percent from a year ago, with 481,500 passengers going in and out of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas through the first half of the year.
Aeromexico, Panama’s Copa Airlines, and others also have reported significant declines in passenger travel to Las Vegas.
Some smaller international routes, though, have reported increases, including those run by British Airways, Air Canada, and Condor Airlines, in Germany,
The result has been a slight decline in international travel through McCarran, at about 0.2 percent this year.
A recent change in flight restrictions between Mexico and the United States might help to boost travel from Mexico to Las Vegas.
Both nations in December agreed to reduce regulations and increase air traffic between them, and that means more passengers from Mexico and other parts of Latin America will be able to pay less to fly to the United States.
