While many areas of the Las Vegas tourism continue to grow, most analysts and skeptics always seem to compare the rising numbers against the apex of 2007. 2014 saw 41.1 million people visit Southern Nevada, and 5.2 million people attending conventions. As the numbers continue to grow, they still are far off from the 6.2 million attendees of 2007.
December, well known to be the slowest month for tourism in Las Vegas, but 2014 saw 3.1 million visitors for the month, a 5.5 percent increase over December of 2013. Citywide occupancy rose 2.4 percent over 2013 to 86.8 percent. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also reported the daily room rate rose $6 to $116.73 in 2014. Strip rates grew to $125.80 a night, $60 more than downtown, and 5.2 percent ahead of 2013.
Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA, is already looking down the road, and setting bigger goals. “The question,” Ralenkotter said, “is how do we get to 45 million visitors?” He expects to reach that number “within the next few years.” If the goal of 45 million is hit, 37,000 new tourism jobs are expected to flourish in Southern Nevada.
Ralenkotter admitted he never imagined Las Vegas hitting the 40 million visitor mark when he began as a marketing researcher for the authority some four decades ago. At a recent speaking engagement at Preview, the premier networking event for the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, he addressed the nearly 2,000 people on hand in regards to reaching the magic 45 million mark.
He went over the past six months at the LVCVA, including their strategy for the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Global Business District, which is expected to start this year. The project is a major overhaul of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which will include a transportation hub and state-of-the-art exhibition services technology. This project is set to create 6,000 construction jobs, and once completed, an additional 6,000 permanent jobs.
Ralenkotter admitted Las Vegas had to turn away roughly 30 big trade shows because there simply wasn’t enough room to accommodate them. The Business District overhaul will be able to provide the shows with enough room once complete. The city also received a nice gift in the form of Chinese travelers being able to use visas for a 10-year period without having to reapply each year.
One major area the LVCVA is looking to address is the millennial generation. Tourism from the millennials is vital for the city to hit the 45 million number. The authority has even invested in research to understand the demographic, and hope they can capitalize on their penchant for brand loyalty, by instilling a sense of Las Vegas being a metaphor for adult freedom, and not just a destination.
