A strong sports and convention calendar helped Las Vegas post its second consecutive year-over-year gain in visitation and delivered one of March’s strongest hotel revenue in history.
The gains aren’t likely to totally change the narrative of Las Vegas’ rebound from last year’s slowdown, but the resort destination has plenty to build on after the Strip reported a more than 14% gain in gaming revenue, while revenue rose nearly 21% in downtown Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported Las Vegas welcomed 3.45 million visitors in March, a 1.9% increase year-over-year, supported by a packed calendar that included the NASCAR Pennzoil 400, college basketball conference tournaments, March Madness, and the return of the triennial CONEXPO tradeshow. There were 3.38 million visitors a year ago in March. Despite the gains, the March total was below the 3.67 million in 2024.
Convention attendance for the month surged 33.4% year-over-year, with CONEXPO alone drawing more than 140,000 attendees.
Vehicle traffic from southern California rose 5.7% in March to make up for a decline in Harry Reid International Airport passenger numbers by 4%.
Las Vegas closed out the first quarter with an overall increase in visitation, as year-to-date visitor volume reached 9.74 million, an increase of less than 1%. A robust convention segment attracted nearly two million attendees, up 12.3% year-to-date, according to the LVCVA.
March occupancy reached 84.8%, rising 1.9 points ahead of March 2025. Strip occupancy reached 87.4%, up from 85.6% a year ago, and weekend occupancy was 93.3%, up from 90.8% a year ago.
Strong demand delivered one of the strongest March hotel-revenue months on record, with average daily room rates reaching $207 and revenue per room of $175, both ranking as the second highest ever for the month, just behind the CONEXPO-driven peak in 2023, when ADR was $213 and RevPAR reached $188.
Strip average daily rates were $223.60 in March, up 14% from $196.16 a year ago. Revenue per room was $195.42, up 16.4% from $168.71.
Downtown rates were $113.06, up 12.7% from $100.30 a year ago. Revenue per room was $80.05, up 14.2% from $70.20.
Demand during the quarter supported room-rate growth with year-to-date ADR reaching $200, +5.7%, and RevPAR at $164, +6%, despite fluctuating global conditions.
Special events of note in March: The Colosseum at Caesars Palace hosted Jennifer Lopez March 6th through the 28th. In March, the Venetian Theatre hosted the band Foreigner for five nights. T-Mobile Arena hosted the Vegas Golden Knights on various dates throughout the month. T-Mobile Arena also hosted the UFC 326: Holloway versus Oliveira 2 event on March 7th.
The MSG Sphere hosted the Wizard of Oz throughout March. Performances at the MSG Sphere also included the Illenium March 5th through the 14th and the Eagles from March 20th through the 28th. Sammy Hagar performed March 11th through the 21st at the Dolby Live Theater at Park MGM. MGM Grand Arena hosted the WBC super welterweight bout between Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman. Luke Combs performed at Allegiant Stadium on March 21st. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series was held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 14th and 15th.
