Las Vegas is on the ropes, can F1 save it from a KO?

Las Vegas is on the ropes right now - can F1 save it from a knockout?

The Strip is struggling to combat falling tourism numbers ahead of motorsport's crown jewel this weekend (racing is scheduled for Thursday/Friday/Saturday).

But around 100,000 fans are expected to attend the track each day, and F1's chief commercial officer Emily Prazer believes the event will give the Nevada entertainment hotbed with a much-needed boost.

"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," she 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 is struggling in 2025

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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