LAS VEGAS -- Where were these prices a week ago?

In the wake of some brutal reports on the city’s tourism industry, Las Vegas needs all the incentive it can muster to entice travelers to Sin City.

Unfortunately, gas prices started trending downward after the Fourth of July weekend.

According to the American Automobile Association, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Las Vegas is $2.63. Friday’s average was down two cents from the day before, and a nickel from a week ago.

The trend will bring a sigh of relief to drivers who feared recent penny-a-day increases were foreshadowing another record-breaking summer.

Neighboring states California and Arizona are also seeing gas prices fall, AAA reports. Tourism officials hope that will be enough to bring some visitors back to southern Nevada.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported this week that visitor numbers fell 5.8 percent in the month of May, and the state Gaming Control Board said casino revenues for the month fell 6.4 percent on the Las Vegas Strip, compared to the same month last year.