Parents bringing their children to Las Vegas dipped slightly in 2024, but that trend remains well ahead of pre-pandemic levels, and visitors are wealthier and spending more on food, drink, and shopping while curtailing spending on entertainment.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on Tuesday released its annual Visitor Profile Survey.
One of the key findings was that in 2024, more people came to Las Vegas for tourism and leisure and fewer for conventions. In addition, 64% of visitors earn $100,000 or more compared to 48% in 2023 and only 28% in 2019.
One in eight visitors (12%) came from abroad, the same as last year, but well ahead of the pandemic low of 3% in 2021.
International visitors were more likely than domestic visitors to be first-time visitors and traveling for vacation/pleasure and to be female, white, married, employed, and with a household income of over $150,000.
The average age of visitors in 2024 was 43.6 years old, similar to 2023, but three years younger than 2019. The 65-year-old and older category was 6% in 2024, down from 19% in 2019. The 30-to-49 age group rose sharply in that time.
One of the biggest changes since the pandemic has been the resurgence of Las Vegas as a family destination. It hit a record 21% in 2021 when more people worked remotely and their children learned remotely. In 2019, only 5% of adults brought someone under 21 with them, while in 2022 and 2023 it was 16%, dropping to 13% last year. The biggest segment in 2024 was school-aged children between six and 17.
Four in five visitors gambled during their stay (78%) and the average trip gaming budget was $820.15, similar to last year and above 2019-2022 results.
The big change, however, was spending on food and drink, which reach its all-time high in 2024 of $615.07, up 9% year-over-year.
Shopping increased 13% from 2023 spending levels at $281.12 and local transportation spending at $159.79, increased significantly, up 37% since 2019.
Spending on shows and entertainment was $63.14 in 2024, down from $108.54 in 2023 and $117.29 in 2022. About one in five of visitors (21%) in 2024 attended shows or entertainment events during their visit, down from 26% in 2023. One in four visitors went to paid attractions (25%) during their trip, down from 31% in 2023.
Although within the study’s margin of error, the percentage of visitors attending sporting events declined from last
year (4% versus 6%), according to the LVCVA. One in 10 visitors viewed sporting events while visiting Las Vegas, down slightly from 12% in 2023.
More than half (52%) of visitors included a visit to downtown Las Vegas, down from 58% in 2022, but ahead of 42% in 2019.
Nearly nine in ten (87%) visitors in 2024 said that they were “very satisfied” with their visit, while 10% said they were “somewhat satisfied.” Only 2% were “dissatisfied.” More than half of 2024 visitors (54%) said that Las Vegas exceeded their expectations, up from 48% last year.
Around six in seven visitors had visited Las Vegas in the past, reaching a new high.
Nearly three in five visitors (59%) said they planned their trip more than a month in advance, while 55% said they booked their accommodations more than a month in
advance, both up from past results.
Visitors to Las Vegas in 2024 stayed an average of 3.4 nights and 4.4 days, up slightly from 3.3 nights and 4.3 days in 2023.
