Las Vegas Has Changed, But Tourism Still Reigns Supreme

Tourism remains a major revenue generator for Las Vegas casinos and Nevada as a whole. In addition to leisure travelers on vacation, conventions are also a big deal for local businesses and employees.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. According to the 2024 Las Vegas Economic Impact Report on Tourism, leisure and business travelers were responsible for more than one-third of the Silver State's gross domestic product and general fund revenue. They also supported hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in financial investment in Las Vegas.

The record spending by 41.7 million visitors and the direct contributions of Southern Nevada’s tourism industry continue to drive the region’s economy.

★ Total jobs: 385,330

★ Total wages: $21.3 billion

★ Total economic output: $87.7 billion

Las Vegas would be a very different place without tourism. Sin City continues to evolve to meet visitor preferences and ensure tourism remains strong, which is no small feat given the rise of online casinos.

Convention and Leisure Visitation and Spending 🏨

Visitation to Las Vegas grew by 2.1% in 2024, hitting 41.7 million. This was just shy of the peak visitation of 42.5 million in 2019 before the pandemic.

Tourist numbers were up in 10 of the 12 months in 2024. March was the peak month, with nearly 3.7 million visitors.

As expected, the majority of visitors were here for vacation. Convention attendance increased by just 0.1%, holding steady at six million in 2024.

Leisure and business travelers are different, but both matter to the Las Vegas ecosystem. While more people visited for vacation, business travelers spent 32% more per trip.

Convention visitors spent $1,681 per trip. This was 33.2% higher than the average leisure visitor, who still spent more than 50% more than they did five years ago. 

In 2024, visitor spending grew to $1,322 per trip, or 4.8% higher than in 2023 and 52.6% higher than in 2019.

How Tourism Generates Employment 👷

In 2024, total tourism-related employment increased 1.5% to 385,330. Despite a global pandemic and increasing automation, total employment has grown approximately 2.3% since 2019.

The majority of Southern Nevada jobs in 2024 came from hotels and casinos, which directly employed 146,490 workers, a 7.2% increase over 2023. Overall, this made up 13.1% of regional employment and 14.6% of private (non-government) employment.

Here’s a breakdown of how Las Vegas reached 385,330 tourism-related jobs:

★ Direct impact: Visitor spending on casinos, hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc. supported 252,610 jobs.

★ Indirect impact: Jobs at suppliers and vendors supported by visitor spending totaled 48,380.

★ Induced impact: Spending by employees whose jobs are tied to visitor activity added another 84,350 jobs.

How Tourism Pays Southern Nevada Workers 💵

In 2024, Southern Nevada tourism accounted for $14.6 billion in direct wages and salaries, a 5.6% increase over 2023.

Altogether, tourism wages made up 20.5% of all earnings in Southern Nevada and 23.5% of all private-sector income.

This is the straw that stirs the drink in the Las Vegas Valley. Tourism workers spent roughly $4 billion of their income locally – at stores, restaurants, doctors’ offices, and more.

Here’s how the $21.3 billion in wages and salaries breaks down:

★ Direct impact: $14.6 billion from visitor spending on casinos, hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc.

★ Indirect impact: $2.7 billion from vendors and suppliers supported by tourism.

★ Induced impact: $4 billion from employees spending their wages locally.

Don’t Forget the Impact of Conventions 💥

Sin City is a vacation town. Nobody wants to think about a work trip while sipping a cocktail by the pool or playing blackjack.

But conventions play a major role. There’s a kind of symbiotic relationship between leisure and business visitors.

Leisure travelers tend to fill hotels and restaurants on weekends, while conventioneers keep them busy during the week.

Las Vegas casinos keep upgrading their convention and meeting spaces for two main reasons. First, improvements like new carpet, tech upgrades, or a fresh coat of paint are often cheaper than adding big new attractions for vacationers.

Second, convention visitors spend much more during their visit. In 2024, they dropped just over $10.1 billion. Those six million convention visitors spent an average of $1,681 per trip. That was a whopping 33.2% more than the $1,262 spent by the average leisure traveler.

Conventions were responsible for 70,470 jobs and $3.9 billion in wages. Altogether, business travelers contributed $16 billion in total economic output.