Las Vegas is becoming an experience of the past, with fewer visitors and rapidly waning interest. Visits from Californians, previously a vital part of Vegas tourism, are dropping especially quickly. There’s more than one reason behind why this is happening.
Local tourism in the United States isn’t exactly at an all-time high. Political tension, economic troubles and high levels of stress are causing Americans to travel less, both within the United States and abroad. But Sin City has been hit especially hard. Only 3.1 million people visited in June, representing an 11.3% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Pinning down the exact reasons is challenging. Comments cite everything from high prices to generational differences. The latter offers a very important clue to why visitor behavior is changing on a long-term basis.
Younger people are more likely to bet and play at online casinos than to visit Vegas for the casinos. Not only is the experience cheaper and more convenient, but there’s also the freedom to shape the type of experience that players want. Getting started can also be anonymous and seamless with technology like Inclave logins. PokerStrategy reviews Inclave casino benefits, and casino expert Sofia Rebuck writes about the appeal of Inclave casinos:
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To the younger generation, flexibility, anonymity, and accessibility are deemed more important. On top of that, the younger generation drinks less alcohol, which means land-based casinos are less tempting when the experience can be done just as well at home, without alcohol. The loss of the social aspect is something that many people don’t seem to mind, or are happy to sacrifice in exchange for the added anonymity.
The declining tourism hasn’t just led to troubles at the land-based casinos. The hotel occupancy rates are also down, and some hotels have been forced to put themselves on pause or operate part-time due to declining visitor numbers. There’s a “dwindling number of tourists” amid an “eerily empty Vegas Strip,” according to Times reporter Olcyré Burga.
To many young people, Sin City just doesn’t hold a strong appeal. Perhaps the younger generations’ choice of sins looks a bit different, and Vegas still hasn’t caught up to the changes.
For Las Vegas to recover from the tourism slump, it’ll need to start appealing to the new generation of adults in new ways that can’t be satisfied just as well – or even better – through an on-screen experience. Offering more affordable options will also be key in seducing a budget-conscious generation to come to see Las Vegas as a desirable and worthwhile destination.
