Will Krolicki’s successor support outreach?
The Nevada Commission on Tourism may expand its marketing outreach to India, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. India is viewed as an up-and-coming tourism market due to its expanding economy.
An estimated 41,000 Indians visited the Silver State last year, according to Larry Friedman, director of international sales for the commission. But the potential for more is great. More than 1 billion people live in India, and an estimated 450 million are considered middle or upper class. Half the population is under 35 years old.
“They seem to appreciate seeing places that are off the beaten path,” Friedman said.
While Las Vegas presently has no nonstop air service to and from India, Friedman said, many tourists from India travel to visit friends and family in California, where nearly 600,000 Indians now live. And more than half of Korean Air’s tickets from Seoul to Los Angeles are sold to Indians connecting from Mumbai, the fifth- most populous city in the world, the Review-Journal reported.
Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, whose term expires in January, is the chairman of the Tourism Commission and a fan of the marketing plan. “I think it’s a great opportunity,” Krolicki said. “It’s a lot like the way China started for us, and that has been extremely successful, not only for tourism but for economic development.” He hopes his successor continues the advocacy.
