Las Vegas officials anticipate 3.4% increase in visitation for Labor Day weekend

Las Vegas is gearing up for an influx of tourists over the three-day Labor Day weekend that begins Friday, with city officials anticipating greater visitation numbers and spending than in 2023.

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), an estimated 331,000 people will be visiting Southern Nevada to bid farewell to summer over the weekend. The figure marks a 3.4% increase over the 320,000 visitors for Labor Day 2023, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Tourists will be able to choose from 150,679 available hotel rooms to check in, which is a 0.9% inventory decline from 2023. Despite the openings of the Durango and Fontainebleau resorts since the last Labor Day, the closures of the Tropicana and The Mirage are responsible for bringing the overall number down.

Visitors are projected to directly spend $417.4 million over the weekend, up 12.7% from 2023, according to the LVCVA's report. This is expected to result in an economic impact of around $690.8 million through direct and indirect spending calculations, which would be a 5.5% increase over 2023.

Researchers for the LVCVA forecast a 92% hotel occupancy rate, up from 88.8% a year ago. While the Authority did not provide projections for room rates, a survey of hotel room rates conducted by the Review-Journal estimates visitors will be spending around 16% more this year than last to stay.

The Review-Journal's report is based on a survey of hotel room rates for 138 properties, based on prices listed Tuesday on Hotels.com. The average price of a room for stays Friday through Sunday night is $257.60 a night, compared with around $221 a night last year.

AAA projected the 2024 Labor Day weekend to be one of the most traveled in recent years, boosted by lower gasoline prices compared to a year ago. “Americans see the extended Labor Day weekend as an opportunity to say farewell to summer with one final trip,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA — The Auto Club Group. 

Within the United States, AAA ranked Las Vegas as the sixth busiest domestic destination for Labor Day, trailing Seattle; Orlando; Anchorage, Alaska; New York; and Boston.

While tourists favor smaller crowds and cooler temperatures this time of year, which is the reason why Alaska cruises are sold out for the weekend, Las Vegas’ high number of hotel rooms and reputation as a sports and entertainment capital and gaming destination always make it appealing for long weekends and celebratory getaways.