Las Vegas to increase UK marketing spend
Las Vegas has increased its marketing budget by 10% to about $90m for 2013, a large chunk of which will be spent in the UK, its largest overseas market.
Arrivals to Las Vegas were up 2% year on year, but visitor spend has fallen about 20% since 2007/8, said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The city is keen to increase numbers from the UK as visitors from long-haul markets stay longer and spend more. Following the launch of new flights from Manchester by Virgin Atlantic last year and an extra flight from British Airways, airlines offer a total of 72,000 seats a week from the UK to Las Vegas.
Ralenkotter said visitor numbers from the UK were expected to be up 8% this year.
Las Vegas will become the first city to host the Routes convention for international airlines next year, an event that typically leads to a 10% increase in flights for the host city, and it will also host the US travel trade convention, Pow-Wow.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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