Las Vegas visitor numbers rise in November, but hotel and airport metrics show declines

November 2024 brought mixed outcomes for Las Vegas' tourism sector, as visitor numbers rose slightly but declines were recorded in hotel performance, airport traffic, and convention attendance.

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the city welcomed 3.3 million visitors, a 0.6% increase compared to November 2023, driven by high-profile events like the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix (November 19-22) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show (November 5-8).

Despite the boost in visitation, average daily hotel room rates fell by 20.3%, settling at $198.72. Weekend hotel occupancy increased marginally to 89.1%, but midweek occupancy dropped to 78.9%, leading to an overall hotel occupancy rate of 81.4%, a 0.5 percentage point decrease from November 2023.

Harry Reid International Airport, a key gateway to the city, recorded 4.7 million passengers for the month, down 2.1% from November 2023. Domestic arrivals fell by 3.3%, while international traffic saw a significant 16.2% increase.

Despite the monthly decline, the airport set a new record for passenger traffic in 2024, with 53.6 million travelers passing through by November, a 1.4% year-on-year increase.

Convention attendance dipped, with 548,200 attendees reported in November, marking an 8.4% decrease from the previous year. The slowdown was attributed to a drop in midsize meetings. Additionally, average daily vehicle traffic on Interstate 15 at the California-Nevada border declined by 2%, with 44,916 cars recorded.

Southern Nevada’s overall performance in November varied. Mesquite, a neighboring city, experienced a sharp 10.8% drop in visitor numbers, bringing its total to 66,000.

Hotel occupancy in Mesquite fell to 72.9%, though average room rates climbed 9.3% to $89.65. Year-to-date figures for Mesquite showed an 8.8% decrease in total visitor numbers, down to 778,000.

For Las Vegas, year-to-date visitor numbers reached 38.2 million, reflecting a 2.2% increase over the first 11 months of 2023. However, hotel room occupancy for the year remained largely unchanged, slipping just 0.1% to 83.7%.