Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleDecline in Las Vegas visitor numbers eases in July
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 | 1:10 p.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Sun Coverage
A downward trend in the number of visitors to Las Vegas showed signs of easing in July.
The number of visitors to Las Vegas in July dropped 1.3 percent compared to July 2008, according to numbers released today by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. That's the smallest year-over-year decline in 2009.
The LVCVA said 3,181,139 people visited the city in July, which is down from 3,222,456 a year earlier. Hotel occupancy dropped 3 percent during that time, from 87.2 percent to 84.2 percent.
The average daily room rate tumbled 18.6 percent, from $105.97 in July 2008 to $85.23 this past July, the LVCVA reported. Total occupied room nights held steady at more than 3.6 million, which is a drop of only 0.2 percent compared to last year.
The number of meetings in Las Vegas was nearly identical, at 1,317 last year and 1,316 this year in July. The number of people attending those meetings was down 5.5 percent.
Passenger traffic at McCarran International Airport was down 9.3 percent, but vehicle traffic on Interstate 15 at the Nevada/California line was up 8 percent.
Visitor volume to Laughlin dropped 2.3 percent from July 2008 to July 2009, although the number of visitors plunged 28 percent in Mesquite.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48
- Two dead after accident in downtown Las Vegas
- Instant Analysis: Debating whether UNLV should continue series with San Diego State
- UNLV can move forward without the burden of losing streak to San Diego State
- A wife’s wisdom shows birth control issue needn’t be divisive
- Vegas oddsmaker expects Adele to have a great night at Grammys
- UNLV makes key plays down stretch to hold off San Diego State 65-63
- Hope and change and … what’s missing?
- Surprise links, negotiated deals addressed by commissioners
- Mitt Romney wins Maine caucuses, CPAC straw poll
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
The rate of decline may be slowing, but that doesn't mean the tourists who are coming are spending as much. The hotels are in a price-cutting war to put "heads in the beds" but, in too many of these properties, those "heads" are not spending like they used to, either on the casino floor or in the restaurants/retail areas. Be careful about reading too much into the "second derivative" (a decline in the rate of decline).
Let's compare month to month instead of year to year - that's the real story..the fact is it's still dropping no matter what "spin" you put on it.
Of course the decline is slowing. Now a year ago numbers are when gasoline was $4.50 a gallon and air fare was rising with ticket prices. When you compare this year to a disaster year the decline will be smaller. That doesn't mean there are more visitors.
Try comparing it to 2 years ago.
It's called how to lie with statistics... everybody does it
WHY SHOULD THEY COME TO VEGAS?
INDIAN CASINO'S ON EVERY OTHER CORNER.
JUST LIKE GAS STATIONS.
people are still coming, quit being so bleak. This is a two-year recovery, if you're a hater, move
does anyone travel anymore? try staying in san fran or new york. your hotels/city have such amazing shopping/ restaurants and great rooms all on the cheap (comparatively speaking). geez you'd have to have won the lottery to get a bellagio room in beverly hills, and the awe inspiring beauty of the atrium and chiluly glass is all free--nothing compares to being a tourist there and seeing it all. i promise people will be back, they'll gamble eat amazing food, not 2.99 buffets but quality can still mean value.
The Indian Casinos are really hurting Vegas. The Comps are better than Vegas casinos. We get as much as $60.00 each on each visit. Vegas is not as gaming oriented as it was in the past. They stress food, family, entertainment way to much.
"yeah, people are coming but they're not spending", "It's dropping", shut up. In the overall picture Las Vegas, as a destination, isn't fairing too bad. The pessimistic reports, panic, and well lets be real, RHETORIC, need to be put into perspective. Las Vegas Has experienced exponential growth in visitors, profits, and overall revenue that was generated since 2002. If purveyors of these resorts, casinos, travel organizations what have you, did not plan for a rainy day well then there's a fundamental problem. Now that the "BOOM" has leveled out and reset itself to levels of only a few years back, a panic ensues. All these corporations who over extended themselves building the next mega-resort are the equivalent of the irresponsible end of the Las Vegas housing bubble bursting. Now the state is leaving virtually no stone unturned looking for money to cover it's deficit, and casinos are broke?...because "NOBODY IS SPENDING MONEY"?
I told that bum on the street asking for change I was broke too...guess what? (shh..I WASN'T!)