Officials predict holiday weekend numbers will be down from last year

Tuesday, May 27, 2003 | 11:40 a.m.

Long lines of cars poured out of Las Vegas Monday afternoon, closing out a three-day Memorial Day weekend officials predicted would be down from last year. Forecasters at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said Friday that economic uncertainties nationwide probably would result in a slight decline in visitation to Southern Nevada for the traditional kickoff of the summer vacation season.

LVCVA research director Kevin Bagger said he expected the occupancy rate for hotels and motels over the long weekend would reach 94.4 percent, down from last year's rate over the same holiday weekend of 96.3 percent. He said 275,000 people were expected to visit Las Vegas over the weekend, compared with 278,000 people last year. "There continues to be some uncertainty in spending and travel," Bagger said today. "So, we decided to take a more conservative approach this year."

Representatives of Park Place Entertainment Corp. and Mandalay Resort Group said their said their Las Vegas properties were full for the weekend and they see it as a strong kickoff for the summer season.

A spokeswoman at McCarran International Airport said parking lots filled up Friday and a remote lot was opened for the weekend, indicating local residents also were traveling.