During October 2020, Las Vegas welcomed nearly 1.9 million tourists, an increase on the previous month but about half the 3.7 million who visited in October 2019.
In 2019, Las Vegas saw 42.5 million visitors, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimates the city hosted around three million visitors in February 2020. Yet, in the middle of March 2020, most businesses on the Vegas Strip and Fremont Street shut down after the state’s governor ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses as part of Covid-19 restrictions.
Online casinos in Vegas have thrived during the Covid-19 pandemic as more customers have made the switch from casinos they cannot visit due to travel restrictions. With searching for the best casino online now much easier, punters are able to virtually recapture the charm of gaming in real casinos. With online casinos recording increased business, there is hope for the industries in Vegas when Covid-19 travel restrictions are fully lifted.
Las Vegas casinos reopened on 4 June and later the city was removed from many states’ travel bans after an initial peak in coronavirus cases. Nevada still has no travel restrictions for visitors, though neighbouring states like California have encouraged self-quarantine periods for anyone arriving in the state from elsewhere. It is likely that travel rules have been looser because the economic indicators for the state as a whole have estimated one in three jobs at risk.
In the weeks after Las Vegas reopened, the number of daily COVID-19 cases rose tenfold before declining though the numbers were still high enough for the Harvard Global Health Institute to recommend stay-at-home orders, which were not implemented. Even though national air travel in the US fell 80 per cent in June, more than a million passengers came through the airport that month, a decrease of about 25 per cent down from 2019 figures for the same month. Many of these visitors were driving in from neighbouring states.
To encourage visitors to travel to Vegas casinos, the casino owners have implemented protections, including limited capacity, checking workers daily for symptoms and distanced slot machines and seats at gaming tables for safety. In addition, perspex barriers separate dealers and players, and handwashing and sanitising stations placed throughout each casino.
As a result of these changes, during October 2020, Las Vegas welcomed nearly 1.9 million tourists, an increase on the previous month but about half the 3.7 million who visited in October 2019 and at least 13 shows reopened to live audiences in October and November, adapting to the new guidelines, including capacity caps of up 25 per cent in restaurants. This positive result was impacted by a three-week “statewide pause” to contain the spread of COVID-19 which was announced on 24 November.
As an ex-travel agent with over 15 years of experience David now uses his knowledge to help clients in the travel sector mitigate damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
