LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A rainy New Year's Eve in Las Vegas didn't stop the fun on Thursday night — revelers took over the Strip to enjoy fireworks, concerts and everything our city has to offer to ring in 2026.
WATCH | I spoke to some people who enjoyed seeing the crowds in Las Vegas:
Seeing all of the crowds might make you forget that one of the biggest stories of 2025 was the tourism slump hitting the valley, but recently released numbers show we could be starting to move in the right direction.
People and cars still packed Las Vegas Boulevard on New Year's Day on the heels of "America's Party" — New Year's Eve celebrations in Las Vegas — which drew hundreds of thousands of people to the Strip, serving as a glimmer of hope after a year filled with questions and concerns about our local economy.
Even mired in a tourism slump, there's still something drawing visitors to the Entertainment Capital of the World, who say taking in America's Party was special.
"It's the place to be — Vegas is Vegas, there's only one Vegas in the world," said Kelbys Terron from Miami. "It was fun, it was good seeing people that active, that engaged, and such varied celebrations."
The latest tourism numbers for Las Vegas could show some signs of life: the Nevada Gaming Control Board reports increases in casino earnings statewide for back-to-back months in October and November.
The Gaming Control Board's latest report shows a 10.3% boost for Downtown Las Vegas casinos in November, while Strip casinos lagged slightly behind, with a 0.5% decrease in November.
Laughlin and the Boulder Strip also stood out as bright spots in November, with an 11% and 20% year-over-year jump in casino earnings.
Those stats reflect what casino executives shared during their fourth quarter earnings calls, which I reported on in early November.
"With stabilization in the fourth quarter and growth in 2026 and beyond, we remain very bullish on Las Vegas," said MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle.
"We're seeing sequential improvements in operating trends in Las Vegas as we enter the fourth quarter," Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Anthony Carano said.
Visitor numbers have some catching up to do, however.
Through the end of November, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported 35.4 million Las Vegas visitors, down 7.4% from 38.3 million through November 2024.
Harry Reid International Airport reported a drop in passengers for the tenth straight month, too, down 5.5% through the end of November, compared to the same period in 2024.
Big holiday crowds over Christmas and New Year's in Las Vegas give some cause for optimism about a year-end boost to tourism, though, as everyone hopes to kick off 2026 on the right foot.
We'll likely find out how much the holiday travel period and America's Party affected tourism numbers later this month, as those year-end reports should be ready and released by the end of January.
Visitors who spoke to Channel 13 on Wednesday say their New Year's trip was worth it.
"Oh yeah it was — the fun's just getting started!" said Kelbys Terron from Miami.
