FEATURE LAS VEGAS
stagnant, healthy international numbers
are fuelling the arrivals comeback, a fact gratefully acknowledged by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau. “For Las Vegas, the international market
has undoubtedly been something of a saviour and is helping us maintain our visitor numbers. Last year, year on year international tourists made up 14 per cent of all our visitors, and this year it is up to 18 per cent,” said Kelly Sawyer,
A distinctly French feel at Paris Las Vegas; Cycling near Red Rock Canyon, just 20 miles from The Strip; The distinctive Las Vegas skyline
international sales executive for the LVCA. Leading the way is the UK: direct
passenger arrivals from UK carriers into Las Vegas, as reported by McCarran International Airport, grew by 39 per cent from January through September 2010. And direct arrivals from the UK into Las Vegas are forecast to grow by 30 per cent in 2011, a result that will be primarily down to a 26.2 per cent increase in direct seat capacity from the UK to Las Vegas (with BA and Virgin Atlantic). With so many hotel rooms to fill the pressure on rates has never been greater
and UK travellers are rushing to take advantage of historically low hotel prices – even the top hotels are offering nightly rates of between $100-$150, with rooms elsewhere as low as $50. “Hotel rates could be a little higher, particularly as our marketing budget is funded by the room tax,” added Sawyer, “but they are low enough to keep the hotel rooms full and people are spending their dollars on other services, attractions, dining, etc, so the money is coming in and it is a big spend”. Most UK USA specialist tour operators
From The Front Line
RUBY BRIGGS DIRECTOR, NORTH AMERICA TRAVEL SERVICE “Las Vegas has always been a very important destination for us. Over the years we've
seen the Vegas model change from it being just a 'one- night stand' on an itinerary around the Western USA to it becoming a single-centre destination for anything from three nights to two weeks. Travellers recognise that Las Vegas has some of the best hotels, a great choice of fine dining, fabulous weather and that the city is not all about gambling. With direct airlift from both London and Manchester, Las Vegas is also a great short break destination.”
HEIDI BLADES GENERAL MANAGER FOR AMERICA, CANADA AND THE CARIBBEAN, PREMIER HOLIDAYS “Las Vegas is selling well for us, with forward bookings to the Bellagio, the Luxor
Hotel & Casino & the MGM Grand at the top of the chart. The Bellagio is doing particularly well: the 18% increase in bookings reflecting a trend toward higher-end bookings."
JONATHAN DITTE NORTH AMERICA PRODUCT MANAGER, JETSET
“Las Vegas is selling really well for us, not only as a single-centre holiday and as part of a
West Coast self-drive but also part of twin- and three-centre holidays. And more are including Las Vegas as part of a round-the-world holiday or as a stopover on the way to Australia with BA/Qantas. It has established itself, with San Francisco, as one of our biggest selling destinations in the west of the USA. The new Cosmopolitan Hotel, with its wraparound terrace suites, offers something different to the traditional hotel rooms of most Vegas hotels."
KAREN NIVEN MARKETING AND PRODUCT MANAGER BON VOYAGE TRAVEL AND TOURS “Sales to Las Vegas are going from strength to strength. At the new Cosmopolitan, the
casinos have windows, which is unusual. It has three hip and trendy pools, and unusually for Vegas some rooms have balconies. It’s the perfect recommendation for honeymooners!"
point to Las Vegas as one of its leading lights. Ruby Briggs, director, North America Service, said: “Our 2010 Las Vegas business was fabulous – up 28 per cent on 2009 and 2011 is shaping up to be as good, if not better. “There's new product available at the
CityCenter development, particularly the Mandarin Oriental, which is attracting a lot of attention, and ever-popular properties such as Wynn, Encore, Venetian and Bellagio are constantly working hard to maintain and lift their standards of excellence.”
LVCVA
LVCVA
LVCVA
BMI PUBLISHING/STEVE HARTRIDGE
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