Las Vegas Tourism Records Higher Visitor Volume but Lags in Other Key Areas

November 2024 was a conflicted month for Las Vegas as statistics indicated a slight increase in visitation but a decline in many other critical areas. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) reported an increase in visitor volume compared to November 2023 by 0.6% to 3.3 million.

The growth was fueled by the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix (November 19^th to 22^nd) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show (November 5^th to 8^th).

Hotel Performance in November

While visitation increased, Las Vegas’ overall performance was lower than in November 2023, propelled by the first Formula One race in the city. Average room charges in Vegas hotels dipped by 20.3%, coming in at $198.72.

“November saw higher weekend occupancy versus last year (89.1%, up 0.4 points) but lower midweek occupancy (78.9%, down 2 points) as overall hotel occupancy for the month reached 81.4%, down 0.5 points,” stated LVCVA Research Center vice president Kevin Bagger.

Downward Trends Elsewhere

Las Vegas also displayed declines in other areas, including passenger traffic. According to Harry Reid International Airport, 2.1% fewer travelers went through the complex compared to November the previous year, reporting 4.7 million passengers. Domestic arrivals at the airport dropped by 3.3%, but international arrivals were up 16.2%.

While November 2024 had setbacks, Harry Reid International Airport still had a record-breaking year with the highest passenger traffic. 53.6 million passengers had been tallied by November, indicating a 1.4% rise year-on-year.

Convention attendance was another key indicator that revealed a downward trend. Fewer and midsize meetings were prominent during the period, and 548,200 attendees were recorded, an 8.4% drop. Interstate 15 at the California-Nevada border also reported lower average daily vehicle traffic by 2% to 44,916 cars.

Varying Year-to-Date Results

Overall, Las Vegas welcomed 38.2 million visitors during the first 11 months of 2024, a 2.2% increase over 2023. Hotel room occupancy didn’t change much, dropping just 0.1% from last year’s 83.8%.

Other cities in Southern Nevada also reported mixed November results. Mesquite saw a significant drop in visitor numbers of 10.8% to 66,000. Hotel occupancy dropped to 72.9%, while room charges shot up to $89.65, a 9.3% increase. Year-to-date occupancy was down by 8.8% to 778,000.