Las Vegas continued to prove itself a leading destination for business and leisure tourism, welcoming a record 6.6 million meeting or convention attendees in 2019, beating the previous record set in 2017 and a 2.3% increase over 2018, according to research published by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
In addition to strong convention attendance, the destination welcomed 42.5 million visitors in 2019, up from the previous year of 42.1 million visitors, as the city continues to draw travellers seeking world- class dining, sports, and entertainment experiences that can only be found in Las Vegas. Resort partners benefited from industry-leading occupancy rates of 88.9% and a 2.9% increase from last year in average daily room rates.
With several new venues, attractions and events planned to debut in 2020, it’s anticipated that Las Vegas will continue to attract strong visitation, with highlights that include hosting the NFL Draft in April and the Las Vegas Raiders debuting at the US$2 billion Allegiant Stadium for the 2020-2021 NFL season. By year’s end, the city will also have an additional 2.2 million square feet of new meeting space, including the completion of the 1.4 million square foot Las Vegas Convention Center expansion in December.
Tourism generates $58 billion annually in Southern Nevada and the Las Vegas valley. The industry supports nearly 370,000 local jobs, representing about 40% of employment within Clark County.
