LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Though foot traffic has dipped across Las Vegas, the Entertainment Capital of the World is far from “dead” as visitors and locals flock to budget locations that provide “value.”
Visitor volume is down 11.3% in June, according to the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority; more than 3 million people visited the Las Vegas Valley that month.
“‘Dead’ is, I think, much more of a of an exaggeration. I think we’re taking like a 45-minute nap here,” Dr. Amanda Belarmino of UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality explains to FOX5.
“Three million [visitors] in June is still a lot of people. It’s more than the population of Rome or Paris, and as a comparison, the Grand Canyon, which is one of the most visited national parks, has about 4.3 million people a year,” she said.
Where are tourists and locals going to spend their money? Gaming revenue numbers show the stark shift towards the search for discounts: in June, the Las Vegas Strip had 0.9% growth in gaming gains.
Downtown Las Vegas revenue jumped 10.5%; along the “Boulder Strip” or Boulder Highway, revenue jumped 19.3%.
Both those areas are known for budget-friendly options that cater to visitors that seek “perks” and value– and free parking.
Owner of Downtown’s Circa, Derek Stevens, also tells FOX5 by phone that claims of plummeting tourism are “overblown.”
Stevens has spoken on FOX News and beyond to set the record straight: Circa has maintained summer foot traffic with its “All In” package, offering 2 nights, $100 food and $100 beverage credit for $400, he tells FOX5.
“Overall revenue has been good for pretty much all the [sportsbooks] in Nevada,” Stevens told FOX5 about gaming during a one-on-one interview in July.
Dr. Belarmino points out that that many customers are balking over rising resort fees or parking costs typically seen at properties across the Strip.
“We know that there’s been a lot of push back against resorts fees in the last few years and we continue to charge those. Parking fees are also something that can sometimes be a hot button issue for guests. I think we’re really feeling a little bit of that price sensitivity that we didn’t see right after COVID because people had that pent up demand,” Dr. Belarmino said.
Many Strip properties are owned by several companies, and even budget-friendly options still have similar charges for resort fees or parking, Dr. Belarmino said.
On a typical summer night in Chinatown, parking lots are packed to the brim. Entrances to establishments have lines out the door as tourists and locals flock to viral or popular establishments.
Chamon, a one-year newcomer to the Las Vegas scene with menu ingredients and staff from Japan, often has menu items sold out within one hour of opening during lunchtime.
“I think we offer affordable prices, more than the Strip,” said Chef “Tomo,” the head chef and manager of Chamon. “And also– very authentic-style Japanese tempura,” he said, noting that Americans who have been to Japan seek out authentic cuisine in the U.S.
Other factors contributing to a Las Vegas tourism dip, according to Dr. Belarmino: a nationwide drop in domestic tourism, the lack of Asian visitors returning to Las Vegas post-pandemic (coupled with a sharp decrease in Canadian tourists) , the typical slump during summer months with the lack of conventions, and the tendency for tourism to drop in crucial battleground states after an election year.
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