Tourism

Don’t bother to ask the TSA

A few years ago, a friend told a group of us that she had valuables stolen from her luggage while traveling for business. An experienced traveler, she insisted it had to have happened at our very own McCarran International Airport.

3 December 2012
By Bruce Spotleson

Las Vegas marathon participation down — but not because of problems last year, organizers say

Runner George Saunders of Redlands, Calif. strikes an Elvis Presley pose while waiting for the start of the Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon Sunday, December 4, 2011. The marathon and half-marathon attracted 44,000 official entrants from all 50 states and 54 countries, organizers said.

The Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon will feature 14,000 fewer participants this year after water contamination issues and concerns of overcrowding drew complaints in 2011.

1 December 2012
By William D'Urso

Passenger traffic at Las Vegas airport down in October

Passenger traffic at McCarran International Airport declined slightly in October for the second month in a row and the fourth time in five months.

30 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Megabus returning with trips between Las Vegas and L.A.

Megabus, the discount intercity bus service that began a 10-month run of service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in 2007, is coming back in December, a month after Greyhound modified its schedule to include five daily express buses.

28 November 2012
By VEGAS INC Staff

Don't expect extra cabs on Las Vegas streets during rodeo

The Nevada Taxicab Authority voted unanimously today against allocating additional cabs for next month's National Finals Rodeo. Although 150,000 people are expected to be in Las Vegas for the 10-day event, board members concurred that cab fleets for Clark County's 16 companies are large enough to accommodate the crowd.

27 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Tourism director aims to help people discover Nevada off the beaten path

The Valley of Fire gets its name from its red sandstone formations created 150 million years ago. State tourism officials hope to use technology and social media to draw attention to such natural wonders.

When Claudia Vecchio accepted the job as director of the state Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs a year ago, she knew she was entering uncharted territory. The state had just combined its tourism, arts, museums and Native American culture departments into one office because of a budget crunch. It was anybody’s guess how well the parts would fit. Vecchio came from the tourism industry, having headed a Dallas company that promotes tourism for midsize communities.

26 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Southwest goes tropical

The busiest commercial airline at McCarran International Airport is spreading its wings and by April will have seven new cities on its route map, including its first in the Caribbean.

26 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Party train from Calif. to Las Vegas could be on tracks next year

The "X" Train by Las Vegas Railway Express.

A company planning luxury train service between Southern California and Las Vegas has signed a key agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad that could lead to the start of passenger service by the end of next year. Las Vegas Railway Express signed the deal last week enabling the company to operate its “X Train” on Union Pacific tracks between Daggett, Calif., and Las Vegas.

19 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Salvaging the monorail

The Las Vegas Monorail pulls into the Convention Center station on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011.

The Las Vegas Monorail Co. is out of bankruptcy. Although countless critics have savaged the monorail and want to see it torn down, it’s a system worth keeping, and even building on.

19 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Allegiant looks to expand its market reach into Mexico

An Allegiant Air jet takes off from McCarran International Airport on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, buoyed by its successful launch of service to the Hawaiian islands earlier this year, is setting its sights on Mexico and could begin routes to and from Las Vegas and Orlando by the end of next year or early 2014.

16 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

McCarran adds Mexican airline Interjet to its international lineup

Mexico City's Interjet will become the 17th international airline to offer service at McCarran International Airport today when its inaugural flight from Mexico City’s Toluca Airport arrives tonight.

15 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Out-of-state company wins job to paint Las Vegas Convention Center

Customized vehicles parade through the streets Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, as exhibitors left the 2011 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority awarded a major painting contract to an out-of-state company, but the contract requires the winning bidder to use locally based painters and subcontractors.

13 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Showgirls, Elvis impersonators magnets for Las Vegas

Oscar Goodman kicks off the 2012 pool season at Wet Republic at MGM Grand on Friday, March 9, 2012.

When the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority goes on the road to tourism trade shows, showgirls and Elvis impersonators are the magnets that draw people away from the likes of New York and Orlando. And so does former Mayor Oscar Goodman.

13 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Sacrifice for strong airline industry

Las Vegas needs a healthy aviation industry to thrive, so it’s encouraging to see airlines posting profits in their third-quarter earnings.

12 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta

Last-minute deal helps blunt threat of cabdriver strike

A taxi cab drives down the Strip Thursday, April 28, 2011.

A tentative contract agreement was reached today between negotiators with the Industrial Technical Professional Employees union and Yellow-Checker-Star, the second-largest operator of taxis in Southern Nevada, but negotiations with a second cab company are continuing, so the threat of strike has not been completely averted. The deal blunts a potentially crippling blow to tourist transportation as two unions representing more than half of the cab drivers working in Clark County were in contract negotiations with the two largest cab groups representing eight of the 16 companies licensed to operate in the county.

8 November 2012
By Richard N. Velotta
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