‘We miss our best friends’: Las Vegas hotels accepting Canadian dollar at par to spark tourism

Three downtown Las Vegas hotels have begun accepting the Canadian dollar at par with the American dollar in an effort to spur Canuck travel.

Circa Resort and Casino, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel and Casino have launched the “At Par Program,” which runs until Aug. 31.

“Everybody (in Las Vegas) is talking about really the same thing,” CEO Derek Stevens tells CTV News. “There’s clearly something missing, and that’s the lack of Canadian tourism.”

“We miss our best friends.”

The hotels will all offer on par accommodation and drink prices.

They’ll also allow Canadian guests to redeem up to $500 CAD in slot play, treated at full USD value.

...

The promos will require a valid Canadian passport or government-issued ID.

Stevens says he understands the deal still won’t be enough for many travellers but he hopes some rethink their American boycott.

“Canadian tourism, on a monthly basis, has been down anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent,” he said. “And I realize sometimes when best friends or allies have a spat — yes, they have a spat, but it doesn’t mean everybody wants to fight.“

...

Stevens’ plea comes amidst a massive downturn for the Nevada city.

Data from the Harry Reid International Airport shows ten straight months of declines — with the biggest culprit being flights out of Canada. The country typically makes up Vegas’ largest international market by a wide margin.

The slowing travel demand can be linked directly back to the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump and the trade war he started.

Recent Abacus Data figures show among those Canadians who have not travelled south in the past year, 34 per cent “thought about going but ultimately decided against it because of their feelings about Trump or about how the U.S. is treating Canada.”

Abacus says that works out to roughly 23 per cent of Canadian adults overall.

...