Reno has seen an increase of visitors in the past few months — . a stark contrast to the national trend where tourism has fallen.
The majority of people coming to Reno are business travelers, said Mike Larragueta, CEO of Visit Reno Tahoe. These companies are attracted to what he calls limited or select-service properties, hotel and lodging that provides various amenities, and these companies have seen an increase in investments from the city.
“I think that is a result of just development within the community and you know an exceptional job of bringing more business to relocate to Northern Nevada,” Larragueta said.
This has made Reno a prime host city for many conventions. While Larragueta doesn’t know exactly where people are spending their money, gaming revenue is high, especially when compared to Las Vegas.
“When you compare Reno-Tahoe versus Las Vegas and versus some of the national trends, Northern Nevada is really holding its own across the board. It's obviously [the] affordability and value, and outdoor recreation, which is generally either free or significantly discounted. So it's appealing,” Laurragueta said.
While anything can happen, Larragueta hopes this trend continues into 2026. He said that this year, Reno already has a lot of big events lined up, which he hopes will further increase the number of people visiting. It will also add to the revenue coming in, which he said, will lead to more investment in the city.
