Las Vegas hoping F1 grand prix will give city boost over falling tourist numbers

Amid falling tourism numbers in Las Vegas, F1's chief commercial officer has said that the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix can provide the city with a boost.

Around 100,000 fans are expected at all three days of the event on the Las Vegas Strip, which takes place this weekend in the US city.

It is the 22nd round of the 2025 season, and is arguably the most glamorous, with an exuberantly lit track and celebrities galore providing quite the spectacle as the 20 F1 cars race down the iconic section of the city.

2025's Las Vegas GP is the third iteration of the race at the Las Vegas Street Circuit and, although it means partial closures for many roads and businesses across the three days, F1's chief commercial officer Emily Prazer has backed the event to have a positive impact on the city's declining tourist numbers.

"If you're looking for destination marketing to boost international tourism in Las Vegas, we believe we're in a prime position to help in that regard," Prazer told the Las Vegas Sun.

"We cater to a very dynamic and broad audience, and it’s not just about one person: we sincerely believe that this year we have something for everyone."

Las Vegas' struggling 2025 tourism

The fall in tourism in general in 2025 for the city has been put down to uncertainty caused by the election of Donald Trump as US President for a second term.

Trump's policies on immigration, tariffs and increased visa fees for international visitors have only exacerbated concerns that Las Vegas is just not a viable option budget-wise for families wanting to visit.

It has always been a very expensive city anyway, and now an expert on tourism has told the above publication that even the Las Vegas Grand Prix won't be able to save the year's tourism numbers for Las Vegas.

Marta Soligo, an adjunct professor at a Las Vegas university, and director of tourism research at the university's office of economic development said: "I don’t know if they’ll be able to attract the same number of spectators, but at the same time, we know that in times of, I guess we could call it, ‘crisis,’ when international travel is limited for whatever reason, we see domestic travel increase.

"It’s a very complicated situation. There are so many issues and overlaps between global phenomena and micro-issues that I don’t think there’s a single event that can solve them all."

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