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Thousands watched a Fourth of July fireworks display July 4, 2009, at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.
Friday, July 2, 2010 | 10:48 a.m.
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With Fourth of July falling on a weekend, Las Vegas tourism officials say they expect a slight uptick in visitors traveling to the valley for the holiday.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said it expects about 285,000 visitors this weekend compared to 277,000 in 2009 -- a 2.9 percent increase.
LVCVA spokesman Jeremy Handel said Las Vegas typically sees more visitor traffic when a holiday like Fourth of July falls on a weekend.
But like most holiday weekends since the recession, the LVCVA said visitors likely will be spending less than before the recession. Non-gaming spending is expected to be off by 2.9 percent, the LVCVA said.
Citywide hotel occupancy is forecast to dip by 1.9 percentage points from last year, mainly due to the addition of about 7,500 rooms since the last Fourth of July holiday.
This year, Las Vegas fell from No. 2 to No. 9 on Priceline.com’s annual Fourth of July destination list. The survey is based on more than 30,000 booking requests made by U.S. customers on the travel website.
Priceline spokesman Brian Ek said that while Las Vegas remains a significant destination for the holiday weekend, an increase in airfares might have contributed to pushing the city further down the list.
Priceline’s airfare index, which looks at 30 routes where fares have been significantly raised or cut from the previous week, lists four routes to Las Vegas with fare increases ranging from 2 to 10 percent. The Minneapolis-to-Las Vegas and Detroit-to-Newark routes tied for the highest week-over-week fare increases at 10 percent.
Ek said airfares have increased by 25 percent from last year, primarily due to airlines reducing the numbers of flights offered last year -- but the number of flights hasn’t returned as demand has increased, he said.
Destinations like Niagara Falls, Toronto and St. Louis, which Priceline classifies as “drive-to” destinations, crept above Las Vegas on Priceline’s annual list. One of the reasons the cities rank high of the list is because of their regional casinos, Ek said.
“A lot of what drives the Fourth of July traffic and the reason why it’s mainly a ‘drive-to’ holiday is because people are going to where the big fireworks displays are,” Ek said. “As long as there is a major city near you, you probably don’t need to go very far.”
Auto club AAA said Fourth of July marks one of the busiest national travel days of the year. Nationally, AAA said 34.9 million people will travel during the holiday weekend, a 17.1 percent increase from last year. More than 90 percent of travelers will get to their destination by car, according to AAA.
In the Mountain region, which includes Nevada, 2.75 million people are expected to travel, a 19 percent increase from last year. Among those residents traveling, more than 88 percent will travel by car.
The Pacific region, which includes Californians who might be driving to Las Vegas, will see a similar increase in travel this year, with about 2.57 million people traveling this weekend. More than 87 percent of those traveling will get to their destination by car.
Travel and ticketing website VEGAS.com, a sister company to the Las Vegas Sun, said its seen a slight increase in bookings for the holiday weekend, up 2 percent from last year. The average daily room rate for rooms sold increased 7 percent, from $92.32 in 2009 to $98.80 this year.
But room rates are still significantly lower than to the last three-day weekend. VEGAS.com reported an average daily room rate of $127.80 for Memorial Day weekend.
Dan Hippler, marketing director at VEGAS.com, said the decline is attributed to the seasonally low room rates that typically occur in late June though July.
MGM Resorts spokeswoman Yvette Monet said the company’s booking trends for this year’s holiday are similar to last year’s.
“We’re even with last year, which is excellent considering the additions of Aria and Vdara,” she said.
Monet said the company expects all of its properties to sell out or come close to selling out. Last-minute rates at MGM Resorts properties range from $80 a night at Circus Circus to $266 at Bellagio.
At Harrah’s Entertainment properties, the average daily room rate ranges from $118 at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall to $463 at Caesars Palace.
LOL, 80 dollars plus tax plus resort fee at the Circus Circus Hotel under the brand MGM Resorts International? I bet for 80 dollars you will only be placed in the annex , way back there near by Cheetahs and the other Gentlemens clubs on Industrial.
Hopefully enough Americans fly to Vegas to celebrate your national holiday and also know how to use their credit cards to the max.
From Switzerland
Unemployment just goes so far.
Happy Independence Day to all.
We can all celebrate Independance Day bY cutting off our reliance on banks. Pay your debt down and send Wall Street and Big Banks a loving message....'SCREW YOU!'
Cheetahs and the other Gentlemens clubs on Industrial.
I want a room close by there, less cab fare!
The economy will bounce back. Government spending created many jobs in the Great Depression, Hoover Dam for example. Some view that as socialism, others as a wise public investment -- saw a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth
The reason people are spending less while in Las Vegas is easy. High food costs on the strip , high prices for entertainment (Terry Fator $150, Barry Manilow $150-250 )tighter machines and lower payouts for BLack Jack.Also resort fees 10-40dollars a day.
Who needs or wants to come here? They are gonna be ripped off at the gas pumps along the Mojave route, fleeced at the slots, expensive drinks, ripped off in the dining spots, and overcharged for their lodging. Vegas just ain't it anymore..
Will be there tomorrow! Thanks to this Depression my room at the Palazzo is free. Thanks Dubya! LOL
Shuttle driver at departing airport = $5.00
One checked bag at airline = $ 50.00/ total
skycap at departing airport = $5.00
shuttle driver at rent car lot = $5.00
rent car fees = double car rental price
doorman at hotel = $5.00
check in agent for room upgrade = $20.00
room price = ?
bellhop = $5.00
resort fee = $ 15.99
Over a hundy before any gaming poolside stuff done.
See ya!
"More visitors spending less"
Good for them. If the greedy casinos are going to try to screw everyone out of every penny they have, screw um.
The best thing that could happen to Vegas would be for every Harrahs property-including their corporate office, to burn to the ground.
Las Vegas Casinos rip people off everyday. Not only for room and board but at gaming too. Trust me when I say, You will loss ur money at the casinos. They cheat!! I have seen it.
Hey tcrawford. Who the heck are you to say something like that? And before you throw in some stuff that's far from reality, you better make sure that your country-fellas are hurrying a bit with cleaning up the oil desaster in the golf. From what I see there's more and more oil flowing into the golf , killing all maritime life and destroying your natural environment. It just doesn't help that BP's hiring now unemployed fishermen and other people without jobs cleaing up the mess. The problem needs to be fixed if you plan to count Florida and other coast regions to your tourist destinations in the distant future. I am talking of 5 or 10 years from now, as until then nobody from Europe will probably go and visit your golf regions anymore. Greed and thirst of oil and your hungry for big cars made this happen. Whether it was BP, Exxon or Chevron, it had to happen sooner or later. Before you point your finger at others, start cleaning up your own mess, dude.
From Switzerland
Can 't the hotels work with the airlines? Living in the Midwest the flights are so expensive, we pay less to stay at nice hotel than we do for our airfare. I remember when Vegas was an inexpensive vacation
Tell it like it is Boris!!
Unfortunately nitty, those days are gone; at least for the Strip. Check out downtown and see if you like it. Not glamorous as the strip but if you just want a place to lay your head for the night, try downtown and sight see the Strip in the early evening or at night when it's cooler. My recommendation would be Golden Nugget.
Hey environ bla bla, you bore me. And I am not telling you anything that's not for you, capisce this?
And once again: Is the oil problem solved or not? I can only see that there's a lot of talking and efforts but it looks like there's still more oil gushing into the gulf than the helping army can possibly clean up. In other words: The mess is getting out of control. I wouldn't be too proud of your country on this 4th of July. Better make sure that it's going to take responsibility for all the madness you're producing over there.
From Switzerland
boris,
why even post here if you are so negative...you continually offer nothing productive other to tell us how wonderful Southpoint has been...beat it-you have no place here.
Hey Boris,
Doesn't look like you recognize when someone agrees with your views, no matter anyhow you don't live in this country and really don't matter anyway. Send us some Swiss Cheese.
environprotector, you lack by far. you don't have the knowledge of the situation, and you don't see the big picture. That's typical, and no real surprise for me.
I am absolutely not interested to start any kind of pointless discussion with you. What's being discussed in here is not going to change my idea and picture I have of your city. I take it you are from Las Vegas. I know how to spend my time in there, and know how to play my game. I am not any other tourist to deliver his bankroll to the Vegas community, but I am a paying guest, so it is my right to go anywhere and anytime I like and I decide. Is that clear for you now?
Greetings from Switzerland
Well if in fact the numbers are off for Vegas,you can believe they are off in every other city across the country.People in general are staying closer to home.Sure they're not going to throw their money to the wind...tomorrow thet may not be working.There's still alot of caution when it comes to big ticket items and vacations for a family of 4 or more is a big ticket item.So Vegas is not alone in this for sure.Just listen to the TV.You'll notice states advertising for summer get-a-ways to their states that you never heard from before.
Boris :
I never said you couldn't do what you please here in my city, all I said was you are unable to see that I was originally agreeing with your comment on how screwed up things are in the Gulf region. Whatever dude, take a chill pill.
environprotector:
Thanks for clarifying. Perhaps I shot over the target, I don't know. All I know is that I've learned Las Vegas as a littly boy when my parents took me there pretty much 35 years ago. I was mesphmerized by the city from Day 1 and kept returning to Las Vegas for vacation since I turned 21, at least 1x, most of the times 2x a year. This makes me a longtime returning visitor and I can say that I know the city and the places to go, and of course, the places to avoid, as well.
I got to learn Las Vegas the way I loved it and the way it was. I miss the times when the Stardust was there with its great poker room deal for players, that is 15 dollars per night in the annex and the little "private pool", and I also miss the days when Station Casinos was offering free shuttle service to all properties to and from Fashion Show Mall and I also miss the times when there was great gambling available, the casinos used to hand out funbooks with real value generously. I also remember the Lady Luck casino with its legendary super hot dog and the rooms there were really nice, too.
When I think about while I am here in my country, I don't miss the annoying people handing out these fliers of escort services almost everywhere on the Strip, and I don't miss these annoying vendors around the Harrah's properties. But all in all, it's always a great pleasure returning to Vegas, as tourist. I think it's a completely different city if you live there and got a job to do. Being retired with a nice regular income and a life in Vegas is probably something in between these 2 worlds.
Vegas has turned into something that is controlled by corporations that built something on debt. Their bench marks are set so high becacuse of the debt load that pure and fair gamblig is a thing of the past. And that's what's making me sad if I look back at the good days. I remember how it used to be, and I see how it all turned into. It's a scary road Vegas is on, but it will probably make it somewhat. But it lost a big part of visitors that turned their back on Vegas already, for the reasons mentioned above. Not mentioning things such as the resort fee or 6-5 b-j rip off with the music and half-nude dance show in return. It's something for a different crowd of gamblers. But I am not sure if that's the kind of people that bring the money to Vegas. Do you?
From Switzerland
Boris :
I've been here since '59, so I'm sure you know how I feel about how the corporations have destroyed this town..
Environprotector I envy you for having lived in Las Vegas in what I consider to be it's heyday.... I visited for the first time in 1990 before the craziness started and really loved it then. I was seriously considering moving there in the early nineties but the town was growing way too out of control for my taste and getting way too corporate driven. I still visit yearly and enjoy it but there is a charm to the city that's missing from my first visits and a great deal of the reason for this is the fact that they have imploded their history.
$80 at Circus Circus? Come on now. I guess the IP was getting $120 a night this past weekend if CC was getting away with that rate. Now that's criminal...
I had some friends visit LV this weekend -- They stayed at the Orleans (comped RFB). They went to a show at the Mandalay. Before the show they ordered two martinis at the "sports book bar" inside the MB. Price = $24 for two drinks plus toke.
My friends had planned on playing a little blackjack at MB after the show, but were so mad about the drink prices they just left and went back to the Orleans.
$24 for a couple of Martini's? At a hotel bar? Now that's part of what is wrong with LV today. Plain and simple. That's just robbery by the folks at MGM. Shame on their greed.
People will only take so much abuse before they go elsewhere...
As always, please check out my LV blog:
http://jimmyhoofa-lv.blogspot.com/
" People will only take so much abuse before they go elsewhere... "
Mr. Hoofa, they already ARE going elsewhere.. I't's over man, destroyed by the corporate idiots..
All u Experts arguing what's wrong with Las Vegas. How about what's right? Beautiful weather , reasonable and plenty golf courses, reasonable food (unless u eat at the name establishments)good entertainment. You also have reasonable deals at the casinos. As for gambling just do what Jean Scott does play at casinos where the machines and BJ are full paying . Best of luck
The Hard Rock Hotel Poker Room offers promotions that you can hardly find anything else. It's truly unbelievable what I see there that this is probably the place where I will throw in a few hours of poker action during my next visit.
If you scout out the casinos, there are always some with really good promotions and bargains.
From Switzerland
Right on Chaz!!!!! Honestly, Vegas will never be the same. If it's not your cup of tea, then it's not your cup of tea but there it is not necessary to Vegas bash. Just stay home or visit elsewhere. We love you but we love ourselves more. We CHOOSE to live here, period.
BorisR: The oil problem is in the GULF of Mexico...golf is a game played with little white balls and clubs on fancy courses.
haha, thank You Aunt Tilly, of course you're right. The gulf of Mexico. Not golf of Mexico :) In our language there's no difference in writing. Sorry about the confusion...