Tourism

Las Vegas records 5.7 percent increase in October visitors

Las Vegas visitor volume in October increased by 5.7 percent compared to a year earlier, according to numbers released today by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Gaming executives foresee a tough year ahead

Gaming industry leaders are confident visitors will return in greater numbers in 2011, benefitting hotels, restaurants and resort amenities, but they’re less confident about whether their casinos will see a similar increase.

Technology, social media changing how tourism leaders market Nevada

RENO – Rapid advancements in technology and intense research on who is coming here are driving how Nevada’s leading tourism marketing agencies are communicating with travelers, a panel of experts told attendees at the Governors Conference on Tourism.

Friedman to stay on as head of Nevada Commission on Tourism

Larry Friedman, a longtime executive with the Nevada Commission on Tourism, is expected to serve as the agency’s director for a little longer than expected.

After hiatus, scaled-down tourism conference gets back on track

When the Great Recession began to take its toll on Nevada in 2008, the tourism industry was one of the first to feel its effects. But the Nevada Commission on Tourism feels the time is right to bring the Governor’s Conference on Tourism back.

Public fed up with TSA’s ‘grope discounts,’ but still let Opt-Out protest fizzle/

The holiday season is the time of the year that I get all misty-eyed and nostalgic about the good old days.

New Year's at Cosmopolitan: 1 room, 3 nights, $5,600

The Cosmopolitan's rooms will be marketed as a resort hotel with added perks typical of condominiums.

A night of New Year’s Eve partying at a Las Vegas Strip resort can be extremely pricey, but ringing in the new year at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas could cost you a small fortune. The soon-to-open resort released details this week of its exclusive (and expensive) New Year’s Eve package, which comes with a whopping $5,600 price tag.

JetBlue, Allegiant waging airfare war in Las Vegas

Flying high: An Allegiant Air jet takes off from McCarran International Airport. Allegiant opened its doors in Las Vegas in 2001.

Fifteen bucks will buy you a buffet dinner at a Strip hotel. Or, it can get you a one-way ticket on Allegiant Air between Long Beach, Calif., and Las Vegas.

Las Vegas economy among worst in the world, report says

A new report shows mixed sentiments on the future of the Las Vegas economy.

During the years when the global economy and real estate markets were overheating, Las Vegas surged as one of the hottest economies among the world’s largest metropolitan cities, on the strength of the construction and gaming industries.

No delays reported at McCarran as holiday weekend nears end

Travelers pick up their luggage at the McCarran International Airport baggage claim area of Terminal 1 on Nov. 28, 2010.

The annual Thanksgiving retreat — making Sunday one of the year's busiest travel days as people head home — wasn't causing major headaches at McCarran International Airport. McCarran officials expected to see more than 110,000 passengers Sunday.

A suite deal: El Cortez redesign contest, on a budget

Tina Enard of Reno-based Urban Design Studio examines a suite at the El Cortez September 8, 2010.

While posh Las Vegas Strip hotels boast touch-screen remotes and 600-thread-count sheets, the El Cortez mostly leans on its 70-year history and downtown roots. The El Cortez thinks the secret may be in improving the most basic of hotel amenities — the room itself.

With new leaders, a revival of maglev high-speed rail?

We may soon learn how our newly elected officials in Carson City and Washington will side on issues that involve the big pillar of our economy, tourism. For instance, how will Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval come down on the duel between competing high-speed train proposals?

Thanksgiving weekend travel expected to be up more than 10 percent

A view of the Las Vegas Strip.

Despite the struggling economy, 42 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more this long Thanksgiving weekend, an 11.4 percent increase from last year, AAA reports.

October jobless rate falls to 14.1 percent in Las Vegas

CARSON CITY – The unemployment rate in Las Vegas fell to 14.1 percent in October, the first decline in nearly five years. The state reported there were 134,500 jobless in the Las Vegas area.

Oil spill one more hurdle for Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coasti

A closed pier under construction on the Gulf Coast near Biloxi, Miss.

It’s a busy Saturday morning at the Waffle House on Beach Boulevard, the main drag along this town on the Gulf of Mexico.