It’s a younger and more diverse visitor coming to Las Vegas these days, one who is gambling less and is more interested in other forms of entertainment.
That’s according to an extensive and closely watched tourism survey conducted every year by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The new report for 2017, covering a year when the LVCVA counted 42.2 million visitors to Southern Nevada, down about 700,000 from 2016, revealed a number of key findings:
- Nearly one-half of visitors last year were from the Western United States, down slightly from past years. About three in 10 were from California. One in six were from foreign countries, a decline from 2016. Overall, though, the 2017 visitor base continued a 2016 trend of being more ethnically diverse, as three in 10 identified themselves as non-white.
- The proportion of first-time visitors declined from 2016. But Las Vegas continues to expand its appeal to new audiences. And they are, on average, more active than in recent years and more likely to take part in a variety of activities like seeing a show or visiting nightclubs and lounges.
- The proportion of visitors to Downtown Las Vegas increased significantly from past years, to 57 percent. Nearly two-thirds of these visitors cited the Fremont Street Experience as their reason for visiting downtown.
- The proportion of visitors who gambled increased to about 75 percent, but time spent gambling was the lowest observed in five years, at just over one-and-a-half hours, and the average gambling budget decreased slightly, to $541.18.
- Visitors, however, reported spending more on food and drink, lodging, local transportation, and sightseeing as compared to 2015, a key metric for Strip casinos, which generate between 65 and 70 percent of their revenues from non-gaming.
- Also, nearly six in 10 attended shows during their stay, an increase from 2016. About half of all visitors who saw shows saw a lounge act, while more than one in four saw a Broadway or production show. More than 20 percent saw big-name headliner shows.
“These findings are correlated with the increased number of first-time, younger visitors seen beginning in 2016, who were more likely than repeat and older visitors to engage in these activities and visit these types of venues,” the report said. “It is clear that the expanding array of entertainment options and venues available have resonated well.”
