Visitors to Las Vegas are extremely satisfied with their experience. A new survey also finds the typical Vegas visitor is getting younger and more diverse.
According to research published this week by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), more than three-quarters (77 percent) of visitors to Las Vegas in 2022 said that they were “Very Satisfied” with their visit, up from 70% in 2021. Another one in five (20%) said they were “Somewhat Satisfied.”. Only3% of visitors were dissatisfied with their visit.
Las Vegas met (53%) or exceeded (41%) expectations among the majority of visitors. Also, a vast majority (87 percent) said they were either extremely or very likely to return to Las Vegas for a leisure trip in the future.
The average age of visitors was 40.7 years, down from 43.2 years in 2021, and the 2022 visitor was more ethnically diverse, with higher rates of Asian/Asian American and Hispanic/Latino visitors. This follows a trend of visitors skewing younger and more diverse over the last 30 years. The average age of visitors in 1992 was 47.2.
Last year saw triple the number of international visitors (nine percent vs. three percent in 2021) as international travel restrictions eased. International travelers accounted for 16% of all visits in 2017 and 20% in 2018, so that’s clearly an area for growth.
No breakdown was offered for what countries international visitors came from.
Gordon Ramsay at his Hell’s Kitchen Restaurant in Las Vegas. PHOTO COURTESY CAESARS PALACE
Las Vegas welcomed nearly 39 million visitors in 2022. One in four (24%) were making their first trip to the city, up from 20% in 2021.
About six in ten (58%) visited Downtown Las Vegas during their stay, showing a steady increase compared to past results.
About one in six visitors (16%) visited nearby destinations before or after their trip to Las Vegas,
up from 12% in 2021. I really enjoy the outdoors near Las Vegas, especially Red Rock Canyon. I’m hoping to visit the Valley of Fire late next month.
Nearly two-thirds of visitors said they’re more likely to attend a meeting or convention in Las Vegas than if it was held elsewhere, Las Vegas has been named the number one trade show destination in North America for 26 consecutive years, according to the Trade Show News Network (TSNN), the world’s leading resource for the trade show and event industry. Its combined 15 million square feet of meeting and event space is more than any destination in North America.
Among those who attended a convention or corporate meeting during their 2022 visit, 63 percent said they were more interested in attending the event because it was in Las Vegas, up from 41 percent last year and 44 percent in 2019.
Additionally, once business travelers were in Las Vegas, most stayed longer. Among those surveyed, 58 percent extended their stay to enjoy leisure time in Las Vegas by an average of 1.7 days. In 2021, 44 percent of business visitors extended their stay, and did so by an average of 1.2 nights.
Gaming spend grows: While comparable levels of visitors gambled during their stay in 2022 vs. recent years (75 percent in 2022), the average gaming budget per visit was $761, well above pre-pandemic levels when gaming budgets averaged under $600.
I’m not much of a gambler, but I love the food in Vegas and the energy. I’ve also seen some great shows, including The Beatles “Love” and the Matt Goss show, which is amazing.
Terminal One at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. JIM BYERS PHOTO
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT FINES AIRLINES FOR CHRISTMAS TRAVEL CHAOS
The CBC says the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has issued fines to Canada’s major airlines for hundreds of violations related to mass flight delays and cancellations last summer and in December, when hundreds of passengers were stranded in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.
The network said violations frequently concern failure to update passengers during flight disruptions or promptly address their compensation claims.
The CTA website has an entry for Feb. 14 that states the following: “Sunwing Airlines Inc. has committed 32 violations of failing to provide the reason for a delay of flight to affected passengers, contrary to paragraph 13(1)(a) of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) and 4 violations of failing to communicate status updates to passengers every 30 minutes when their flight was delayed and a new departure time was not set…”
The CTA said the violations took place between Dec. 16, 2022 and Jan. 1, 2023.
A canal in Amsterdam. Adrien Olichon/Unsplash Photo.
AIR CANADA ADDS MONTREAL-AMSTERDAM
Air Canada today announced the addition of new, non-stop seasonal flights between Montreal and Amsterdam for this summer. Flights will operate five-times weekly with the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, and conveniently link to and from Air Canada’s extensive North American network at its Montreal global hub.
Seats are available for sale now via aircanada.com, the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres, and through travel agencies.
“We continue to see strong demand for travel to Europe and we are thrilled to increase service and add new, non-stop service between Montreal and Amsterdam for summer 2023, complementing our year-round service between Toronto and the Dutch capital,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. “With up to double daily flights between Canada and Amsterdam this summer from two of our global hubs, customers on both sides of the Atlantic have an abundance of convenient choices to visit and explore each other’s countries and beyond.”
Flair Airlines.
FLAIR AIRLINES DRAMA OVER, CEO SAYS
The CBC says Flair Airlines CEO Stephen Jones is apologizing to passengers after four of its leased aircraft were seized on Saturday in Toronto, Edmonton and Waterloo, Ont..
The seizures by a New York hedge fund were “unexpected and unwarranted,” Jones said during a media availability. Jones said the disruption affected a little less than 1,900 people in the three cities. He said customers can have confidence in the Edmonton-based airline to fulfil its duties.
Jones said the company is “100 per cent caught up” on payments now, according to the Financial Post.
“Flair is here to stay,” he said.
ALL THE LEAVES WERE GONE, AND THE SKY WAS GREY
A report at BlogTO found that this past winter (well, it’s not over just yet) was the greyest in decades. The story said Toronto saw less sunlight this winter than it has in a whopping 73 years, measured as a ranking between December and February annually.
It’s been better lately, but there WERE a lot of grey and ugly days this winter; far more than usual.
No wonder air fares are so high; we’re all trying to get the hell out.
