As the world resumes its love affair with travel, Las Vegas stands out on the global map, welcoming back an ever-diverse crowd of visitors keen on experiencing more than just the roll of dice and flip of cards. Post-pandemic recovery has seen a significant and enduring uptick in families flocking to the neon oasis, reshaping the city’s once adults-only image. After the onset of Covid-19, a curious phenomenon occurred: only 5% of tourists were families with children in 2019, a figure which unexpectedly surged to 21% in 2021. Attributed initially to an anomaly resulting from online schooling and remote work flexibility, these numbers have solidified, with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) disclosing a consistent 16% of visitors being families in both 2022 and 2023.
What was dismissed as a temporary spike has solidified into a steady trend. Las Vegas has doubled its investment in a broad spectrum of attractions, ranging from sporting events to family-friendly entertainment, values that have taken LVCVA by surprise. In response, they have tweaked their monitoring efforts to anticipate whether a strategic marketing pivot is necessary.
“The city has expended significant effort and funds to evolve beyond the ‘What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas’ mantra,” observes Corey Padveen, a marketing expert at t2 Marketing International. According to him, transformations such as the establishment of the Arts District and the revitalization of downtown, along with the addition of new attractions like the Mob Museum, underscore Vegas’s metamorphosis.
Believing that the percentage of family visitors will stabilize around the 16% mark, with potential to rise as high as 25%, Padveen sees this as a positive progression for a city that, for the majority of the past century, was notoriously viewed as hostile to family tourism.
Oliver Lovat of Denstone Group concurs, attributing the family influx to Vegas’s pivot towards a richer tapestry of entertainment and sports. Despite hitting 40 million visitors in 2023, a substantial portion continued to be families—a demographic traditionally relegated to single digits in visitor statistics.
The question of how resorts might engage this burgeoning segment is open, with comparison to convention visitors who have historically attracted substantial investments to the city. International guests, in contrast, are perceived to have received less attention from operators in terms of targeted offerings.
As Las Vegas’s allure extends beyond domestic boundaries, the city has ramped up its cultural and sporting amenities, capturing the interest of international tourists. This shift was underscored by a 39% increase in international visitation in 2023, driven mainly by tourists from Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia. This uptick in worldwide visitation brought nearly 5 million international travelers to Las Vegas, representing around 12% of the overall 40.8 million visitors that year.
The appeal of Las Vegas to foreign travelers is fortified by the diverse selection of experiences now available, ranging from major sporting events, such as Formula One, to cultural landmarks like The Sphere. Headlining musical acts also play a part in drawing international visitors, who see greater value in seeing artists perform in the context of Las Vegas’s unique appeal.
The trend mirrors a generational shift in consumer spending that reflects well on Las Vegas’s economic prospects, offering a more multifaceted approach as opposed to a purely gaming-centric industry. With non-gaming revenue climbing to a record 73.4% of total revenue on the Strip, it’s evident that attractions outside the casino floor have gained significant foothold in redefining what Las Vegas has to offer.
From the development of Project 63 by MGM Resorts International, signaling robust family-oriented development, to the planned demolition of Tropicana Las Vegas for a new baseball stadium, the city’s landscape is constantly reinventing itself. An array of other venues such as Area15 and the Allegiant Stadium further affirm the diversification of Las Vegas’s touristic portfolio.
As Las Vegas hones its image as a multipurpose destination, welcoming singles, families, business travelers, and sports enthusiasts alike, the city manifests a new chapter in its storied existence. LVCVA’s research suggests a wide demographic appeal, reflecting the evolving cultural mosaic of the United States. With a higher average income among visitors and satisfaction levels peaking, Las Vegas secures its position not just as a gambler’s paradise but as a familial haven, a cultural hotspot, and a sports fan’s dream come true.
In a city known for its transformations, the numbers don’t lie: the presence of families is reshaping Las Vegas’s celebrated Strip, betting on a future where everyone can find their slice of the extraordinary.
