New report says tourists spending more money in Las Vegas
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A new report by the Las Vegas tourism board shows visitors are spending more money on their trips to Sin City. The latest statistics come from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which issued its visitor profile study results this month.
LAS VEGAS >> Tourists are spending more money on their trips to Sin City, according to a new report by the Las Vegas tourism board.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority issued its visitor profile study this month, which showed average spending in most expense categories increased in 2015, including lodging, food and drinks, local transportation, shows and sightseeing. The length of the stays inched up, to an average of 4.4 days for the record 42.3 million visitors last year. In 2014, Las Vegas trips lasted 4.2 days.
The data is based on information volunteered by a total of 3,600 random tourists polled at various casino-hotel properties throughout the year. The agency that commissioned the yearly survey is funded by county room taxes generated by the hotels it considers partners.
Kevin Bagger, executive director of the tourism board’s research center, said he interprets the latest numbers as a sign that visitors are choosing to spend more for a quality experience, as opposed to the costs of such expenses going up overall. Nearly all survey participants reported being either “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with their trip.
“Our visitors are comfortable spending more,” Bagger said.
The largest jump in spending was for shows. On an average trip, tourists spent $61.95 to see some type of performance, including lounge acts, headliners or comedians. It amounted to a 30 percent increase from the $47.56 they spent in 2014, although the overall percentage of visitors who attended such a show went down to 61 percent. In 2014, 65 percent of visitors took in a show.
The average cost of lodging also saw a significant increase, with visitors reporting spending $102.64 per night, up nearly 19 percent from the year before. The figure did not include rooms that were bought through a vacation package or was a complimentary offering from the hotels. The price of vacation packages did go up, too, by about 5 percent to $857.43.
Among the reported categories, only the amount of shopping dollars for an average trip went down. The average tourist spent $122.66 per trip shopping, an 18 percent decline from the year before. This marks a five-year low for the shopping category, while hotels, food and drinks, transportation, shows and sightseeing all hit a five-year high in 2015.
Citing the recent strength of the U.S. dollar, Bagger said he attributes the shopping dip to a 3 percent decline in international tourists, who tend to shop more on their trips to Las Vegas than domestic visitors.
13 responses to “New report says tourists spending more money in Las Vegas”
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not an attractive city to me and it is getting expensive
Honolulu should take note, wonder how many Asians come to Honolulu, clear customs, then hop on plane to Vegas. I wonder if Hawaiian is monitoring this since they to asia routes then connect to Vegas. Honolulu is there same, ugly… been to Waikiki recently… in Aiona made on interesting comment the other day, time for another county.
Doesn’t make sense. Easier and cheaper to fly direct to the mainland than stop in Hawaii.
Ah…you right.
You wouldn’t know what “attractive” is when it comes to vacationing. “Expensive”? You can find Package Deals to fit any budget. Kamaaina rates here are”expensive”. How about Dining? $6 Breakfast Buffets, $11 Lunch Buffets, $14 dinner Buffets with Prime Rib. Nothing close to that here. Drinks anyone, play penny slots, and drink for free. Shows? Well, yes the shows are pricy, but have you been to a big show here lately? Big Acts perform nightly in Vegas, here they just pass through. Besides, after the show in Vegas, well your in Vegas, you can sit a Penny slot, people watch and drink beers. Home here, you go eat saimin somewhere then go home before Midnight.
Yea, it’s cheap at Paradise, Circus Circus, and Station Casinos buffets. If that’s the quality you need, cheaper to stay home and go to Pagoda. Penny slots are not really cheap. Most want fifty cents to dollar fifty per bet. A dollar tip on a weak free drink, fifty cents for a small glass of soft drink or bottled water. Stiff the cocktail waitress and you’ll never see her again. At least, in Hawaii, the saimin, won ton min, and ox-tail soup is good.
Lost wages! I go there mostly for the food and shopping at the outlets.
My wife is going to Vegas for a class reunion. She said I could tag along, but no thanks. Anyway, she’s taking up 20% more than she did the last time. So that’s 20% more for me to spend at home!
You’re using fuzzy math … actually, she takes up 20% more so you are left with 80% less. The household budget is 100% and she took 60% of it last time. So, with the added 20% that leaves you with … Hope you enjoy instant saimin.
Readitnow, you’d LIKE to think my wife and I have it that bad, yes? Wifey is not taking a larger percentage of the household budget. She’s taking a 20% increase of her Vegas spending $$, which is part(not all) of her discretionary income. For the sake of example, her annual allowance is $12,000. Last time, she brought up $5,000 to Vegas. This time, she intends to bring up 20% more(of last trip’s $5K), or $6,000. That leaves her with $6,000 allowance for this year. Readitnow, try to improve your academic skills to the level of a 5th grader. lol. If you intend to disrespect someone, make sure you anticipate all the consequences, or you’ll look sophomoric.
The NBA is now allowing their players to wear patches on their uniforms to show their paid sponsors–if our lawmakers were to do that I’ll bet (pun intended) that most will have Boyd’s Gambling and California Resort patches. why we don’t have at least lottery gambling here is insane–we have a captive tourist audience — we could make a fortune in revenue and MIGHT EVEN AFFORD RAIL!!
Love to go to Vegas. Used to go to Vegas or mainland vacations three or four times a year. Each for at least a week. Of course, We are retired. In the last four years, we have been to Vegas only once. Why? Everything is too expensive. Over $200 a couple for a show. $100 a couple for good dinner buffet. Decent Strip hotel room per night are what packages used to cost. Soon taxes and surcharges on car rent for week will be more than rental fee. Plane fare used to cost $350-400 round trip, now $600, unless you fly at 1am.
Vegas Tourism Authority says Vegas income is up. Naturally, all the prices are up. Soon number of visitors will drop and total revenues will drop. Why? Because everything will be too expensive. Casinos are noticing gambling take is got growing. Casinos are trying to get more Chinese and other free-spending Asians to increase gambling take.
Many of my friends who used to be regulars at Flamingo, Rio, Venetian, Bellagio, etc. are now at Downtown casinos or at Orleans, Gold Coast and lower priced places.
It’s just as good to fly to Seattle ($450 on Hawn) to visit family and gamble at Tulalip, Evergreen, or Snoqualmie casinos.
Aloha ninth-island.
Of course, tourists are spending more money in Vegas. Like everywhere else in the country, prices have escalated at a rapid pace. Of course, the Obama Administration still insists there is no inflation at least for Social Security CoL purposes. Talk about lies!