Las Vegas Sees A Slight Drop In Tourism During 2013

Las Vegas experienced a slight drop in tourism over the course of 2013.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority was sincerely hoping that approximately 40.1 million people would pay a visit to Sin City last year. Unfortunately, the city ultimately fell short of that goal by a few hundred thousand.

According to reports, 39.67 million people took a trip to Las Vegas during 2013. This is down roughly 0.1 percent from the numbers generated back in 2012. However, officials are hoping that around 40 million tourists will decide to fly, drive, or hike to the city during 2014.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter said:

“We are encouraged to see positive signs of continued growth for Nevada’s leading economic engine, particularly in the meetings and convention industry. We will continue building on our momentum in the coming year, and we expect to welcome more visitors to Las Vegas than ever before when several much anticipated resorts and attractions debut in 2014.”

The LVCVA also reported that visits to the area for the month of December were down 2.8 percent from the same period in 2012. On a more positive note, convention attendance in 2013 was up 3.3 percent from the previous year. Occupancy at hotels also decreased in 2013, though motel visits reportedly increased.

According to the folks at Vegas Inc., the busiest month for Las Vegas tourism last year was March. Approximately 3.54 million people decided to spend some of their hard-earned money in the city during that time. Only 2.8 million tourists paid the region a visit in December, making it the weakest month last year. Apparently Britney Spears’ stint at Planet Hollywood couldn’t coax people to the Strip.

Although Las Vegas saw a slight decrease in tourism during 2013, this didn’t stop casinos from putting a ton of cash in the bank. The Nevada Gaming Control Board reported that the industry grossed an impressive $11.1 billion during 2013, which was up 2.5 percent from 2012. It’s also the most successful year for casinos since 2008.

Officials said 58.4 percent of the state’s $11.1 billion haul came from casinos located on the Las Vegas Strip. Board analyst Michael Lawton said these grosses are increasing every year, suggesting that 2014 could break records for casinos throughout Nevada.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is no doubt hoping that Britney Spears’ stint at Planet Hollywood will convince people to take a trip to the city during 2014. Other acts that could help increase tourism include the Jacksons, Meat Loaf, Jon Secada. Hard rock band Tool is also reportedly interested in a mini-residency in Vegas during 2014.

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]