EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad. Some officials are blaming the Trump administration’s tariffs and immigration policies for the decline. The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and around-the-clock gambling welcomed just under 3.1 million tourists in June, an 11% drop compared to the same month in 2024. According to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, there were 13% fewer international travelers, and hotel occupancy fell by about 15%.
The Vegas dip mirrors a national trend. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics, which in December 2024 anticipated the U.S. would have nearly 9% more international arrivals this year, revised its annual outlook to predict a 9.4% drop. Some of the steepest declines could be from Canada, the company said. Canada was the largest source of visitors to the U.S. in 2024, with more than 20.2 million, according to U.S. government data.
Canadian airline data shows fewer passengers from north of the border are arriving at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Air Canada saw its passenger numbers fall by 33% in June compared to a year earlier, while WestJet had a 31% drop. The low-cost carrier Flair reported a whopping 62% decline.
Travel agents in Canada said there’s been a significant downturn in clients wanting to visit the U.S. overall, and Las Vegas in particular.
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Las Vegas tourism is down. Some blame Trump’s tariffs and immigration crackdown
Digital Ready video: International tourism is down across the US and Las Vegas is feeling the hit
CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS AND SOURCES
— Talk to your local chamber of commerce or tourism association and ask about tourism numbers for this year compared to last year. Ask about projected numbers and how the latest data compares. Local airports will also have data on passenger numbers.
— Find businesses or organizations that rely on tourism. Have they noticed an increase or decrease in international visitors in the last year? If there was a drop, did they experience a post-pandemic spike that might help explain the downturn?
— Some businesses, like hotels, casinos and resorts, might have a better sense of where their visitors are from and can provide that info. Also consider speaking to service industry unions in your area.
— Many cities have a tax on restaurants and hotels. How might shifts in tourism impact your local budget?
— Some Canadians like to spend winters in the warmer climates of the United States. If your community typically gets a lot of Canadian snowbirds, have those numbers shifted in the last year? Have there been any changes in reservations for the upcoming colder months from Canada? If you live in an area with condos, retirement communities or housing that is often seasonal, ask management and ownership if they've noticed changes.
— If you leave in an area with international tourism, find visitors and talk to them about their experience. Have they visited in the past? Have they noticed any changes in cost or the number of tourists? Do they follow U.S. politics? Did they have any concerns about tariffs or immigration policies on their trip or while planning their trip? Do they visit regularly? Do they plan to return in the future?
— The National Trade and Tourism office is a good resource for data.
— Contact industry groups like World Travel & Tourism Council and the auto club AAA that may be able to provide a local or national take on travel and tourism numbers.
— Consider also contacting local immigration attorneys and economists for comment and observation around potential fears and pressures of mass deportation and travel and the impacts of tariffs.
Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to the Local News Success team at localizeit@ap.org.
Reflected in a glass window, people walk across a pedestrian bridge along the Las Vegas Strip, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS nations will meet in New Delhi this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and U.S.-China tensions test the group’s ability to act together.
Host India will seek to balance its ties with China and Russia against its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to attend.
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging markets and developing countries, named after an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has expanded from its original membership to include 11 countries that together represent about half the world’s population and a large share of its energy, resources and economic output. Experts say its growing size has also exposed divisions as its members want greater influence in the global order but often have competing political, economic and foreign-policy interests.
The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are likely to highlight those divisions. Iran is a member of the expanded BRICS, while Russia remains one of its most influential members. China has close ties with both countries, while India maintains relations with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe.
That diversity makes it difficult for BRICS to take a strong common position on major conflicts. The grouping includes countries with competing regional ambitions, including India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as other nations from the Global South.
“The Global South is not a homogeneous entity,” said Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Hence, the grouping will find it hard to manage and mediate in these conflicts.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has already exposed the limits of India’s ability to balance competing interests. New Delhi has maintained close ties with Moscow, including through energy and defense pacts, while also deepening its strategic relationship with Washington.
The South Asian nation has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy rather than taking sides.
The Iran-U.S. conflict poses a similar challenge. BRICS members have differing ties with Washington and interests in the Middle East, making a unified response difficult. China and Russia have backed Iran in international forums, while India has taken a cautious approach. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their own tensions with Tehran.
For India, the summit is an opportunity to manage its relationship with China. Ties have improved since border tensions escalated in 2020, but China remains India’s largest strategic rival.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to New Delhi, his first in seven years, could help consolidate the recent diplomatic thaw but there are few signs of a recovery in trade and business ties.
“The upcoming summit offers India an opportunity to engage with China, make progress on outstanding bilateral issues,” Donthi said.
India also has an interest in preventing BRICS from becoming an explicitly anti-Western bloc.
New Delhi has strengthened ties with the United States, Israel, Japan, Australia and Europe while maintaining its longstanding relationship with Russia.
“India will project its strategic autonomy by being part of a non-West grouping but also finds it useful to engage with China, its primary strategic rival,” Donthi said.
Reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar is a major issue for BRICS. Members have discussed increasing trade in their own currencies and creating payment systems that would reduce their reliance on Western financial institutions.
The idea has gained momentum as countries such as Russia face sweeping Western sanctions. But replacing the dollar will be difficult, as it is deeply embedded in global trade and finance, while BRICS members have different currencies, financial systems and economic priorities.
Mahesh Sachdev, a retired Indian diplomat, said the goal should not be a direct confrontation with the dollar. Instead, he said, countries want to reduce their exposure to the current financial system that can be used for political pressure.
“It’s a challenge, but we’re not talking about frontal confrontations. It’s not a binary situation,” he said.
BRICS’ growing membership also gives it considerable weight, but its influence will ultimately depend on whether the members can agree on practical steps.
The group has called for changes to global financial institutions, greater representation for developing countries and alternatives to Western-dominated systems. Yet its members often disagree on how to achieve those goals.
Sachdev BRICS needs “more cohesive attitude and better harmony” among its members.
“If it remains just a periodic talking shop and photo ops,” he said, “then its relevance erodes.”
Donthi said BRICS’ success could be measured in smaller steps. These include keeping the expanded group together, improving ties with China, and deepening trade and financial cooperation. The grouping could also show that it can give developing countries a platform without forcing them to choose between Western and non-Western blocs, he said.
“BRICS allows for incremental geopolitical gains, if not outright wins,” Donthi said.
Associated Press journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves, standing by a limousine, upon his arrival for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kristina Solovyova, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves as he arrives for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Indian Foreign Ministry via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, leaves the plane upon his arrival for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
