Las Vegas Tourism Post-Super Bowl: ‘Stakes are Higher’

Skift Take

Las Vegas needs to find more events to keep up its momentum and success in sports tourism.

Dawit Habtemariam

Las Vegas needs to host more sporting events just as large as the Super Bowl if it wants to keep up its growth in tourism.

“We have to continue to drive in order to make things the next level of spectacular,” said Steve Hill, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, who was speaking Wednesday at the Skift Global Forum in New York City.

The city wouldn’t be what it was if it ever stopped large sports tourism events, said Sandra Douglass Morgan, president of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Las Vegas aims to have more mega sporting events hosted in its Allegiant Stadium. “Our top sports goal is to have a marquee event in the first or second quarter of the year, in addition to the Formula 1 race every year,”  said Hill.  “If you don’t do something like that every year, it’s just become a bad comp from last year’s quarter.”

This year, the Super Bowl — the city’s largest event ever — generated $1 billion in incremental economic impact. 

The city needs more events now that visitation to Las Vegas has “plateaued” and construction projects on Las Vegas Boulevard are an “expensive proposition,” which means bigger returns on investment are needed, said Hill.

Las Vegas will host large sporting events like Wrestlemania and College Football Playoff National Championship next year.

“We’ve got targets each year to bring those kinds of high-profile events to Las Vegas regularly and just elevate the city,” said Hill. “The stakes are higher in Las Vegas.” 

Las Vegas to See Less Disruption from Formula 1

Hill expects Formula 1 to be less disruptive for residents this year. Last year, the construction for the circuit took five months, causing traffic and costing businesses on the Las Vegas Boulevard revenue. With the circuit already built, there should be less disruption to residents.

Residents, however, still need more convincing about the economic benefits of hosting Formula 1.  “We still have some improving to do,” said Hill.