Reasons Why Las Vegas Has a High Hotel Occupancy

Tourism is one of the top reasons for the high occupancy rate of hotels in Las Vegas. The city has always been popular with visitors, but the number of new attractions and sites are bringing in even more people. The city also launched a new ad campaign in the late 1990s, using the slogan "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas," which helped increase the number of travelers.

The number of hotels and meeting spaces in Las Vegas has attracted more conventions. Conventions drew more than 6 million people in 2006. A variety of different associations hold conventions in the city including the pornography industry, professional gambling, rodeo associations and little people association.

Gamblers come to Las Vegas not just for the conventions or gaming rooms, but for the tournaments held there every year. The World Series of Poker is just one event that took place in the city. These gamblers arrive in town, hoping to make it big or strike it rich with just one lucky hand. The casinos also keep certain rooms back for their high rollers and those who spend a lot of money in their casino.

Foreign travelers are a relatively new reason for the high hotel occupancy rates in Las Vegas. The city noted that many of their travelers are coming from Russia, China and Korea. There are several million foreign visitors coming to the city every year, a significant rise from past years when it was primarily American tourists visiting the city. Additionally the city is seeing a rise in the number of baby boomers visiting.

The hotel occupancy rates in Las Vegas have steadily declined since the mid-2000s leading some to worry about that the city itself is in a state of decline. Plans for condos and hotels ceased in 2008 when the economy took a downturn. The city still maintains a high occupancy rate, though it's not as high as it once was.