LVCVA Stats Show Changing Las Vegas Demographics
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority released its 2012 Visitor Profile Study today. It was full of statistics identifying the demographics of the average Las Vegas visitor with comparisons dating back to 2008. It included why a typical visitor travels to the city, where they stay, whether they gamble and how much they spend. Most of this data proves two things clearly; Las Vegas is not a gambling only destination and spending is nearly back to pre-recession levels.
Typical Las Vegas Visitor
- 47% were on vacation
- 16% were first-time visitors
- 1% were first-time visitors whose primary purpose was to gamble
- 43% arrived by air
- 33% were from California
- 17% were from outside U.S.
The above Las Vegas visitor stats were consistent over the five-year survey, while the following showed interesting changes:
- 9% of all visitors primarily gambled, down from 15% in 2008
- 9% of all visitors primarily attended conventions, down from 13% in 2008
- 60% book all or part of the trip online, up from 44% in 2008
- 19% used social media to plan trip, up from 8% in 2010
Age
- 19% of visitors were retired, down from 28% in 2008
- 58% of visitors were 40 years of age or older, down from 76% in 2008
- 44.8 average age, down from 50.6 in 2008
How Much Did Las Vegas Visitors Spend?
- $93 for an average hotel room night, up from $76 in 2009, but down from $102 in 2008
- $265 on food and beverage, up from $250 in 2009, but down from $273 in 2008
- $149 on shopping and gifts, up from $122 in 2008 and $102 in 2009
Where Did Las Vegas Visitors Stay?
- 77% stayed on Las Vegas Strip
- 6% stayed downtown
- 3% stayed on Boulder Strip
- 2% stayed with friends, in an RV or camped
- 12% stayed in hotels located in the locals market
Hotel Rates
- 29% paid $100 or more per night for their hotel, down from 34% in 2008, but up from 15% in 2009
- 5% paid $35 or less versus 4% in 2008, but 10% in 2009
- 14% were given free hotel based on their gambling, down from 17% in 2008
Las Vegas Gambling Stats
- 72% of visitors gambled, down from 85% in 2008
- 2.6 of hours gambling per day, down from 3.3 hours in 2008
- $485 average gambling budget, up from the last few years, but down from $532 in 2008
- 25% of visitors would be more likely to gamble in Las Vegas than their regional casino, down from 39% in 2009
Visitor Satisfaction Rates
- 99% of visitors were satisfied were their visit, 94% of which were very satisfied, which was consistent over all five years in the survey
- 81% are likely to return
- 91% would recommend Las Vegas to a friend
- The most common complaints from those that were satisfied but not “very” satisfied include the trip being too short (19%), unhappy with hotel (17%), too expensive (11%), not happy with gambling outcome (11%) and too much cigarette smoke in casinos(2%).
Downtown Las Vegas Visitors
- 36% of visitors made their way to Fremont Street during their trip, down from 46% in 2008
- 62% of those visiting downtown stated the Fremont Street Experience was the primary reason for their visit
- 18% of downtown visitors stayed in a hotel located there
Games Played
Visitors that actually gambled responded with the casino game they played most often:
- Slot machines 63%
- Blackjack 14%
- Video poker 9%
- Poker 5%
- Craps 3%
- Other table games 3%
Day Clubs and Nightclubs
The exploding day club and night club business was evident in the survey. Between 2008 and 2011 only 5% of visitors paid admission to a day or night club. That number was 13% in 2012.
Golf Anyone?
Las Vegas is known for having some of the best golf courses in the country. Surprisingly, only 2% of its visitors make their way to the green.
Las Vegas Changing
Las Vegas casinos have earned less money from gaming than amenities since 1999. The city’s tourism industry has drawn fewer gamblers and more conventions and clubs goers virtually every year since. Las Vegas found a way to reinvent itself as casinos expanded across the country.
One major positive from this survey is that the Las Vegas recession appears to be over. Hotel rates and visitor spending posted healthy gains since the 2009 economic crater. Several major projects are evidence of the recovery. SLS Sahara is replacing the shuttered Sahara property, Genting received approval to build a new Asian-themed resort on the former Stardust property, while Caesars Entertainment is developing the Linq Project and transforming Bill”s Gamblin’ Hall into Gansevoort Las Vegas.
The stats also show how important online marketing is to Las Vegas resorts. Social media usage by potential customers more than doubled over just two years and there was a one-third increase in online bookings over the course of the survey. Las Vegas visitors are younger, more connected to the Internet and less interested in gambling than just a few years ago. These facts are important as Las Vegas tries to draw a new generation and demographic to the city.