LAS VEGAS – Is Las Vegas finally back?
There is a new sense of optimism on the strip as tourists take off their masks and step into casinos where they no longer have social distance and no longer have to have faces.
But is Las Vegas the destination people want to flee to again?
The powers that be in Nevada’s tourism industry believe it.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau released a new ad this week showcasing the glitzy gambling and entertainment mecca as the place where travelers come together wants to enjoy freedom after 14 months of isolation.
The Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, spoke to insider Billy Vassiliadis, CEO of R & R Partners – the company behind “What Happens Here Stays Here”, whose mission is to bring people back to Las Vegas – and asked him what’s next for this city. The interview was edited for length and c
Is Vegas back?
People are really, really, really starting to get into travel. There is a sense of “I have to go” that comes up. We know from our research that tourists are looking for it. They want to flee. They have to flee and they have to think about something, dream about it, hope for something that is life again and lives again in full color with full sound and changes and wearing funny outfits and doing things that they couldn’t. I think Las Vegas is offering it to them.
A couple of kisses as they celebrate New Year’s Eve along the Las Vegas Strip Thursday, December 31, 2020 in Las Vegas.
What research are you looking for?
Listening to social media is a big deal, but we’ve had an intention to travel for years – but with a closer eye for the past two or three months. Intending to go to Las Vegas. We see that on a steady rise. We’re starting to almost hit demand before COVID. What we need to do now is use this knowledge and then motivate and excite them to actually book it. Their intent is to do it, their intent for Vegas is high. We just have to activate it.
What’s the next landmark for Las Vegas tourism?
The story goes on
A spectacular fourth of July. The return of live entertainment. The pieces are in place to activate the group that wants to come here and have them book.
The fountains in Bellagio on April 30, 2021.
After 14 months of pandemic, how do you feel now as the guy charged with bringing people back to Las Vegas?
Like I have a new life It is what i see There is cheering on the Las Vegas Strip and across southern Nevada right now. There is an excitement. There is an energy. The people who came here before were having fun. They enjoyed being away from home and being outside of four walls, but it was done with some caution. The shows weren’t open and the clubs weren’t open. While it was a great escape from their current situation, it wasn’t the cheer and excitement that Las Vegas is known for. I’ll see that again. I feel that again.
What do we do now?
As we become more and more comfortable with this terrible virus that surrounds us – especially the vaccinated people – there will be a very special feeling of liberation. One thing not to be underestimated is how the environment affects travel intent and how much fun they can be.
What do you mean by that?
Children who go back to school are normal. Fans returning to a baseball park in their hometown are normal. When the numbers of LA are going down or the numbers of Chicago are going down and their rules are loosening up, the people who live there are enjoying the idea of going even more to Las Vegas. Your level of comfort increases and your idea of a sense of normalcy begins to reset. The decision to come to Vegas isn’t as complicated and difficult as it was last December when there was a lot of rationalization involved. There was a lot of thought and rationalization that went into the decision. Now I think it’s ‘let’s go.’
Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared in the Reno Gazette Journal: Las Vegas Strip: Masks Are Gone, But Is Sin City Finally Back?
