LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Las Vegas welcomed nearly 3.5 million visitors in May 2026, a 2% increase from the same month last year, according to data released by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Hotel occupancy reached 84.7% for the month, up 1.7 percentage points year over year. The average daily room rate neared $211, a 6.3% increase from May 2025, while revenue per available room reached $178.40, up 8.5%. The LVCVA said both figures reached record levels for the month of May.
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Events drove convention and visitor numbers
Convention attendance for May totaled 586,300, a 14.7% increase from May 2025. The LVCVA cited recurring shows including Knowledge, ICSC Las Vegas, and Licensing International Expo — each drawing approximately 25,000 attendees — along with the Sweets and Snacks Expo at 16,000 attendees and the CHAMPS Trade Show at 11,000 attendees.
The month’s visitor volume was supported by the sold-out EDC 30th Anniversary and its inaugural World Party Parade, four sold-out BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ concerts at Allegiant Stadium alongside the citywide BTS THE CITY fan festival, and the Vegas Golden Knights Conference Finals.
Strip leads hotel performance; downtown lags
Strip hotel occupancy reached 87.6% in May, up 2.3 percentage points from a year ago. The Strip’s average daily rate was $226.46, a 6.6% increase, and Strip RevPAR reached $198.38, up 9.5%.
Downtown Las Vegas occupancy was 71.2%, down 3.6 percentage points from May 2025. Downtown ADR was $110.66, up 1.2%, while Downtown RevPAR fell 3.7% to $78.79.
Gaming revenue rises across Clark County
Clark County gaming revenue totaled $1.2 billion in May, a 7.4% increase from May 2025. Las Vegas Strip gaming revenue reached $807.9 million, up 13.2% year over year. Downtown gaming revenue was $63.9 million, down 4.2%. Boulder Strip gaming revenue was $80.5 million, up 3.5%.
Through the first five months of 2026, Clark County gaming revenue totaled $5.8 billion, up 3.1% from the same period in 2025.
Air travel down; highway traffic mixed
Total enplaned and deplaned air passengers at Harry Reid International Airport reached 4.57 million in May, an 8.4% decrease from May 2025. Year to date, air passengers totaled 21.5 million, down 6.2%.
Average daily auto traffic on Interstate 15 at the Nevada-California border was 48,568 vehicles, up 7.4% from a year ago. Traffic on Interstate 11 at the Nevada-Arizona border averaged 17,546 vehicles per day, down 3.7%.
Laughlin and Mesquite post mixed results
Laughlin recorded 133,000 visitors in May, up 3.1% from May 2025. Hotel occupancy was 52.7%, up 0.7 percentage points. Laughlin’s average daily rate was $68.19, down 1.7%, and gaming revenue totaled $41 million, down 5.2%.
Mesquite reported 75,000 visitors in May, down 1.3% from a year ago. Hotel occupancy was 65.6%, down 7.6 percentage points. Mesquite’s average daily rate was $110.03, up 7%, and gaming revenue totaled $18.3 million, up 2.3%.
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