Routes World returns to the tourist mecca after nine years
By DAVID CASEY
Routes World will arrive in Las Vegas toward the end of what promises to be a busy summer season for the city’s recently renamed Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) as domestic and international traffic continues to rebound strongly.
The latest figures for the airport, which serves as an economic engine that powers the region’s tourism industry, show that passenger numbers topped 4.2 million during March 2022—a rise of almost 66% on the same month a year ago.
At present, LAS is served by 13 domestic and 14 international carriers, connecting the City of Lights with more than 140 destinations worldwide. OAG figures show that US domestic capacity for May 2022 is 2.3% higher than this time three years ago, and international capacity is back to 74% of pre-pandemic levels.
In recent months, new routes have been launched by the likes of Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Swoop, while Condor, Edelweiss and Eurowings Discover have each restored long-haul transatlantic connections.
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“We have seen a consistently strong demand for Las Vegas, and there is plenty of opportunity for the world to get here,” LAS chief marketing officer Chris Jones said. “In North America alone, there are nine different year-round routes for those wanting to come from Mexico or Canada, and Panama opens options for those coming from all over South America.
“And now, with the return of service from Germany and Switzerland, along with flights from the United Kingdom and Amsterdam, it couldn’t be easier for travelers from across Europe to visit Las Vegas.”
The resumption of such international routes is crucial to the continued recovery of the Las Vegas economy, as foreign visitors tend to stay longer and spend approximately $300 more when in the city.
Although affected by a fall in tourist numbers since the pandemic began, Las Vegas welcomed more than 32 million visitors in 2021, a significant increase from 2020 visitation of 19 million visitors.
The increase was thanks to pent-up demand for leisure travel, new sporting and special events, and targeted marketing programs that continue to spur the destination’s recovery. Overall, visitation last year was down only 24% below the 2019 pre-pandemic recorded visitation of 42 million people.
Dubbed the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas is renowned for high-profile sports events and large-scale stadium concerts. In 2023, the city will return to the Formula 1 calendar after an absence of more than 40 years, with an exciting night-time race and street circuit layout that includes the famous Strip.
“Spectators will experience the unrivaled thrill of watching these world-class drivers race through what is sure to become one of the most iconic racetracks in the world,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) president and CEO Steve Hill said.
Conventions and business meetings are also returning, boosted by the recently completed West Hall expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center among other new and planned meeting spaces. MSG Sphere at the Venetian Resort, a sphere-shaped music and entertainment arena costing about $1.8 billion, is also scheduled to open in the second half of 2023.
In total, LVCVA estimates that more than $4.5 billion in investments are projected over the next two years, adding approximately 7,000 more hotel rooms and 791,000 sq. ft. of convention space in southern Nevada by the close of 2024.
The Routes World 2022 air service development event takes place Oct. 16-18 at the newly expanded Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall.
