LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Thousands of visitors flocked to Las Vegas this weekend for major events, including one of the biggest fights of the year and the Las Vegas Raiders home opener.
Despite the weekend surge, tourism officials say this year has been noticeably slower overall, and local drivers are feeling the financial impact.
I spoke with both rideshare and taxi drivers who say the tourism decline is directly affecting their livelihoods.
"It's a big difference now," said Roxana Salguero, an Uber driver.
Salguero has been driving for Uber in the valley for seven years, drawn to the flexibility of the job.
"I can work whenever I want and stop whenever I want," Salguero said.
She's accustomed to driving visitors around and helping them experience Las Vegas. But with fewer tourists in town, her rides have dropped significantly, making her days quieter than usual.
"It's been going down a lot. Yeah, you can really see it, and our pockets are feeling it too," Salguero said.
Salguero tells me she used to average more than 30 rides a day, but recently that number has dropped by about half.
"It can be 15 rides a day, but the pay is a lot less than before, too," Salguero said.
Taxi driver Paul Lueke says he's also experiencing the slowdown firsthand.
"This summer is the slowest I've seen it in Las Vegas," Lueke said.
When asked what he would compare the current situation to, Lueke's response was stark.
"COVID," Lueke said."Yeah, not quite that bad, but it's been pretty slow here," Lueke said.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the valley saw a 12% decrease in visitors in July 2025 compared to July 2024. Officials say the decline is partly due to evolving federal policies and travelers watching their spending more carefully, cutting back on trips.
"People coming in my taxi, they complain about resort fees, charging to park your car, 3 drinks for $100," Lueke said.
While officials say overall international tourism is down, visits from Mexican tourists are up. According to airport officials, between Sept. 11 and Sept. 16, there were 45 flights from Mexico, up from the 39 flights during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Salguero says if conditions don't improve, she will need to find additional work.
"This is my only job, but now I'm looking into another option as well — for a second job, because it's been really bad," Salguero said.
To help bring visitors back, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will be offering special discounts on resorts, restaurants and entertainment between Sept. 22 and Sept. 26.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.