Las Vegas visitors are skewing younger, and their evolving tastes and spending habits are evident in the shifting landscape of what the destination has to offer, according to the annual visitor profile study by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
In 2023, a discernible shift was observed in various visitor dynamics. First-time visitors comprised a smaller share, totaling 16.2 percent, a decline from 23.9 percent in 2019. Gambling remained a prominent activity for visitors, with four in five visitors participating, although the average time spent gaming decreased by 9.5 percent from 2022 and 12.2 percent from 2019. Gambling budgets experienced a modest decline of 3.5 percent to $787 last year.
While gambling spending dipped, other expenditures surged. The average room rate rose to $172 in 2023, an 11.6 percent increase from the previous year and a 50.4 percent increase from 2019. Notably, spending on food, drink, shopping and sightseeing all experienced significant growth compared to both 2022 and 2019. Combined per-trip spending for those categories totaled $1,410 in 2023, a 13.1 percent increase over 2022 and 38.5 percent over 2019. The shift toward more experience-based consumption exemplifies the changing tastes and demographics of the Las Vegas visitor.
Millennials have emerged as the primary generation among visitors. The 30-to-49 demographic grew the most over the last five years, increasing from 43.7 percent of visitors in 2019 to 58.0 percent in 2023. In 2022, the average visitor was 40.7 years old, a significant decrease from the 46.2-year-old visitor in 2019. Although age is trending downward, 2023 saw a gradual return of older people to post-pandemic travel pushing the average visitor age up to 43.8.
For younger visitors, sporting events and shows proved to be major attractions. Generation Z’s high attendance rates at such events surpassed older generations, with 10.4 percent attending sporting events and 31.4 percent attending shows. Among Generation X and Baby Boomers, a combined average of 23.9 percent attended a show and 5.1 percent attended a sporting event.
Convention attendance continued its post-pandemic rebound, reaching just under 6 million in 2023 to constitute 9.3 percent of total visitors. Though convention attendees spent less on gambling compared to the average visitor, they exhibited a higher demand for gaming compared to previous years. Average hours gambling per day doubled from one to two hours and the average gambling budget increased 56.4 percent from 2019. Additionally, convention visitors’ spending on rooms, food, and sporting events all surpassed broader visitor averages, resulting in average total trip spending of $2,122, 42.9 percent higher than before the pandemic.
Southern California extended its longtime position as the top origin of visitors. In 2023, 31.5 percent of visitors came from Southern California, up from 27.3 percent in 2022 and 18.3 percent in 2019. These visitors tend to stay fewer days but make more trips per year. Southern Californians spend less on things such as shopping and food but make up for it with larger overall spending budgets. Southern California gamblers budgeted $853 per trip for gaming, well above the total visitor average. That spending translated to a total trip expenditure of $1,888, a 60.5 percent increase from 2019.
What visitors want out of a trip to Las Vegas perpetually changes, and the Southern Nevada tourism industry has continued to adapt and innovate to meet those evolving consumer tastes with development of new entertainment and sporting venues along with new attractions and amenities.
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