Las Vegas gearing for higher number of visitors for Labor Day

Visitors saying farewell to summer in Las Vegas for the three-day Labor Day weekend that begins Friday will arrive in greater numbers and spend more than they did last year.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on Tuesday estimated that 331,000 people would visit Southern Nevada for the traditional end of summer, a 3.4 percent increase over the 320,000 that were here for Labor Day 2023. Visitors will check in to some of the 150,679 available hotel rooms, a 0.9 percent inventory decline from 2023, thanks primarily to the closures of the Tropicana and The Mirage, despite openings of Durango and Fontainebleau.

The LVCVA also projected that visitors would directly spend $417.4 million, a 12.7 percent increase over last year, resulting in an economic impact of $690.8 million through direct and indirect spending calculations, a 5.5 percent increase over 2023.

LVCVA researchers are anticipating a 92 percent hotel occupancy rate compared with 88.8 percent a year ago.

The LVCVA doesn’t project room rates, but a survey of hotel room rates conducted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicates visitors will be spending around 16 percent more this year than last to stay.

Higher hotel rates

The Review-Journal surveyed 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.

The highest nightly rates for the weekend are at MGM Grand’s Skylofts ($2,150 a night), J.W. Marriott ($787), Caesars Palace ($674) and Wynn and Encore Las Vegas ($610).

Only a handful of Las Vegas properties were under $100 a night, including Hotel Jefe in North Las Vegas ($71) and Hotel Galaxy ($79). Most non-gaming chain hotel franchises were hovering around the $150 to $200-a-night range with Strip properties around $350-$400 and downtown Las Vegas properties in the $200-$300 range.

Vegas sixth busiest destination

AAA projected the 2024 Labor Day weekend to be one of the most traveled in recent years, boosted by gasoline prices that are lower than 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. “Since many kids are already back in school, regional road trips tend to be the most popular option for families. Because of that, others see this as an opportunity to travel the world, with the expectation of smaller crowds at popular sites.”

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.

According to AAA booking data, Alaska cruises are sold out for the weekend. Smaller crowds and cooler temperatures make this a popular travel trend this time of year, researchers said. That’s why Seattle is the top Labor Day weekend destination, up nearly 30 percent from last year when it also topped the list. Anchorage and Juneau are also on the top 10 list of Labor Day destinations.

“If you’re interested in going on an Alaska cruise next summer, the time to book is now to lock in the best rate and ensure you get the type of cabin and scenic views you want,” Haas said.

But 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.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.