Has Las Vegas Luck Run Out?
Sunday, December 21st, 2008
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The current global recession is affecting cities across the globe. With the holidays fast approaching, many thoughts ordinarily turn to travel. But on the brink of a global recession, many families are staying put and avoiding costs wherever possible. No stranger to holiday travel, the thought of spending the holidays at home just didn’t seem right to me. Several months ago, I found a great deal on airfare and now I plan to embark upon a trip to the once a recession-proof oasis of Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s right, Sin City! But it seems that even Vegas can’t seem to escape this recession.
Over the years, Las Vegas has grown as speeds so fast that even frequent visitors had trouble keeping up with the growth. Conventions and the entertainment industry have made this desert oasis and beacon for global tourism. In fact, since the 1970s, Las Vegas has remained recession proof. Yet one question, remains on the minds of most Las Vegas Loyalists, “how will this recession affect Sin City”?
Veteran Vegas travelers, my spouse and I are no strangers to the Las Vegas Lights. This trip however, we expect to be a little different. Not only did we receive drastic discounts on airfare and hotel rooms, we’re still plan to make changes on our own in order to protect our nest egg. We’re packing a little lighter to avoid airline luggage fees and leaving more cash at home than we ordinarily would. We were able to score a great room at the Bellagio with a view of the fountains for less than we paid for a room at the same hotel without the view of the fountains back in August. However, one thing I’m quite confident of, the slot machines and the lights will still be on the gambling capital of the world when we arrive this week. We’ve already purchased tickets to see two well-known shows on the strip and there were no discounts available on those.
In a city where money will get you whatever your heart desires, it’s difficult to imagine Las Vegas not incurring some sort of substantial slow-down in the days and months to come. With tourism as the nearly sole industry in this desert city, Las Vegas is known for its growth and expansion. Already, over 20,000 construction jobs have dried up in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has launched a new $12 million three-month national campaign in order to attempt to entice conventions to Las Vegas and the dollars spent within them. The city’s convention business has been slipping in recent months as several annual conventions have seen fewer attendees and shorter stays among those that are attending.
So how will our upcoming trip to Las Vegas fair in the midst of a recession? Only time will tell. There’s still a lot to do in Vegas that doesn’t involve gambling. You can bet that we will take advantage of the “Duece’s” public transit line offering $5 bus fare all the way down the strip and onto Freemont Street. We’ll take in our shows, gawk at the Bellagio fountain and enjoy the free laser-light display on Freemont over three blocks of roof covering the street.
