LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Sunday marks the first day of National Travel and Tourism Week and Las Vegas continues to be one of the world's most desirable destinations.
"We find ourselves coming here at least once a month," said tourist Stacey Phillps.
National Travel and Tourism Week is May 7 - 13, and nearly 40 million tourists dine, shop or stay in one of the 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas yearly.
"It's a good little getaway. I'm from LA so it's a 4-hour drive. It's good to get away, have drinks, and visit family," said Los Angeles resident Nenia Sanayoa.
Harry Reid International Airport saw an all-time record with 52.7 million passengers in 2022.
"We flew up from Austin to see the festival. It was a blast hanging out in Las Vegas. We've come back every time," said tourist Bob Dobalina.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, visitor spending also hit an all-time high of 44.9 billion dollars last year.
"We come for the food. We always like to try new restaurants out here and we came for the music festival," said tourists.
Aaron Berger, Executive Director of the Neon Museum says visitor attendance is back to pre-pandemic levels and that's good news for local businesses.
"We're turning away as many 50 people during the week and as many as a hundred on weekend," said Berger.
With Fontainebleau, Durango Station, and MSG Sphere opening and Formula 1’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix and Super Bowl LVIII, city officials expect 2023 to be another big year for Las Vegas tourism.
