Vegas Grows, Nevada Benefits

Las Vegas, the primary engine of tourism growth in Nevada, continues to rebound from the recessionary doldrums of past years, said speakers at a recent tourism summit, reports western editor, Ted Davis in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

“Las Vegas is reinventing itself again,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, the longtime president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The recession hit us hard, but we are coming back now.”

Ralenkotter was a keynote speaker at the recent Governor’s Global Tourism Summit at the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. During his address, he listed the primary sign posts of current and future growth for the city’s tourism industry, which must fill about 150,000 hotel rooms per night.

Top amongst those is a steady increase in the number of international visitors. These grew by 19% in the past year, and are essential to the Las Vegas success story, said Ralenkotter.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.