# 2025 Was an Awful Year for the Strip. Will 2026 Be Any Better?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/city-cast-las-vegas-5262773/2025-was-an-awful-year-for-the-strip-will-2026-be-any-better
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/city-cast-las-vegas-5262773/2025-was-an-awful-year-for-the-strip-will-2026-be-any-better.md
Podcast: [City Cast Las Vegas](https://stenobird.com/podcast/city-cast-las-vegas-5262773)
Published: 2026-05-11T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/CC5726383410.mp3?updated=1778282060
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/CC5726383410.mp3?updated=1778282060
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/city-cast-las-vegas-5262773/episodes/2025-was-an-awful-year-for-the-strip-will-2026-be-any-better
Duration seconds: 1648

## Resource

Last year, the Las Vegas Strip had its worst tourism year since the pandemic, with a visitation falloff supercharged by steep declines in international tourism. Still, some of the Strip’s biggest casino operators have trumpeted strong numbers to start 2026. Could it be a sign the Strip has finally broken its slump – or an outlier in an economy filled with mixed signals? Host Jesse Merrick sits down with longtime casino gaming and tourism reporter Howard Stutz to break down why answering that question is more complicated than you might think. Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, May 11th episode: The Neon Museum Zen Leaf Learn more about Istorya’s immersive dining experience at isangkusina.com. City Cast Las Vegas Neighbors can enter to win a seat at the table, so sign up now at membership.citycast.fm/lasvegas. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

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## Transcript

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