In a recent survey, prominent travel firm Club Med ranked the city of Las Vegas as North America’s “happiest holiday destination”—the gambling mecca of the U.S. also came in second in the global poll, behind only Bali.
The survey ranked cities on a 0-100 scale based on a number of factors, such as amenities and activities, cost of goods, safety and crime rates, social acceptance and overall happiness—or vibes, if you will.
According to Club Med, Vegas’ long list of both daytime and nighttime activities coupled with its world-class tourism industry are what catapulted it to the top of U.S. cities, beating out the likes of San Francisco, New Orleans and others.
The firm said that “Las Vegas is the place to be if it’s an adventure you’re after,” and added that the city “also has a high safety score, so you can feel at ease” while exploring any of the “40-plus outdoor activities.”
While some may argue that gambling is not necessarily the most fun activity, especially when luck isn’t on your side, the preponderance of free alcohol and comps for restaurants and hotels make up for the losses. None of the other top-10 cities in the North American list are gambling destinations.
Las Vegas is one the most tourist-heavy cities in the U.S., and thanks in part to the massive ongoing slump in Macau, it is enjoying a nice run of record revenues and visitation. Travel rates were also a factor that the survey considered.
