Tourism experts are convinced visitation to Las Vegas will take a turn for the better in the fall and into 2026 despite the cold local reception its initial “Fabulous Las Vegas” television ad received.
Las Vegas-based critics panned the 60-second spot that aired during Thursday night’s NFL kickoff game between the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, not because of its high-energy portrayal of Las Vegas but for the expectation that many were wanting a nod to showing a more affordable Las Vegas.
But Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill on Friday defended the ad, saying with a national audience of more than 1,000 people it was among the highest-rated work ever produced by the LVCVA.
He added that it’s too early to evaluate the ad’s effectiveness.
“We have the ability to reach out across the country and to our drive markets,” Hill explained. “Several weeks ago, we went out to over 1,000 people and got their input. It was overwhelmingly positive. Travelers across the United States are our audience and that’s who we survey.”
Brand reset ‘overdue’
At least one expert said the brand reset offered by the LVCVA in the initial ad “was long overdue.”
“I think this is needed to help counter some of the viral stuff on social media,” said Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
“We have seen some of the hotels already lowering prices, reducing or eliminating resort fees and creating packages,” Belarmino said. “It seems, however, that most of the complaints are not about room rates but more about the affordability of food and beverage options. This would seem to me to be a better way of getting positive publicity; however, that is an area with tight margins for profit, so it may be a challenge to do so.”
Belarmino is among the experts who believe Las Vegas’ visitation fortunes will turn around in the months ahead.
“I also think that there is less reason to be concerned than the numbers may suggest,” she said. “Let’s remember that 2024 had a lot of unusual demand drivers. We were a swing state and saw a lot of visitation in the summer related to the election. The Aces were making a championship run. Super Bowl and March Madness not only helped the beginning of the year but gave us publicity that probably helped drive visitation numbers throughout the summer. The relatively strong gaming numbers, which is the most profitable part of a casino, indicate to me that we have less reason to be concerned and that this may be more of a temporary dip.”
That has been Hill’s contention all along.
Tourism rebound coming
“I’ve said a number of times in the summer months for us, we are very reliant on leisure tourists,” Hill said in a recent interview. “We don’t have the same business (conventions) lineup, we don’t have the same sports lineup in the summer that we do the other nine months of the year.
“We’ve got the Raiders starting to play again on Sept. 15 on a Monday night, and that same weekend you’ve got the Canelo (Alvarez)-(Terence) Crawford fight. Those kinds of events drive visitation. We’ve got ahead of us probably the strongest business lineup that we’ve had in maybe ever. And that helps. It’s a real conglomeration of what we’re hearing from our resort partners.”
The 60-second TV ad featured an office worker wishing for a break from the usual day-to-day doldrums. She hears a siren song from Las Vegas, enticing her to break free from the monotony and enter a “world of fabulousness.” Surrounded by the neon and lights that provided inspiration for the campaign, she encounters iconic locations that have made Las Vegas famous, including Circus Circus, the Fremont Street Experience, The Orleans, The Venetian and others.
Hill indicated it could take weeks to get a read on the effectiveness of the ad, noting that it likely took that long for the famed 2003 “What happens here, stays here” campaign to take hold and turn into the phenomenon it became.
Hill said the initial advertisement is just the kickoff of what likely will be a monthslong campaign with other activations, experiences, special offers and partnerships to be delivered in coming weeks.
He affirmed that the LVCVA budgeted $35 million to pay for media expenses through R&R Partners for the 2025-26 fiscal year, with half of that dedicated to premium television ad placements for maximum impact.
“I don’t know exactly what that ad (Thursday) cost, but when you’re on television, it’s expensive,” Hill said Friday. “But a part of making a commitment to a brand campaign is still being on TV. We are responsible for marketing Las Vegas. We have a budget to do that. We think it’s important.”
Advertising trade publication AdWeek has reported that NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” lineup, which includes a handful of Thursday games, including this week’s, is around 90 percent sold out for advertising. Ad rates on NFL broadcasts have been escalating and will reach a record $8 million per 30-second spot at February’s Super Bowl, which will be aired by NBC. The company has not disclosed rates for 60-second spots like the “Fabulous Las Vegas” commercial.
Some are estimating the Thursday night ad may have cost around $2 million.
Canada meeting
Hill also addressed another tourism concern this week — the recent decline in visitation from Canada. He met with tourism partners in Vancouver, British Columbia, in late August to discuss the downturn in travel to not only Las Vegas but the entire United States.
“Obviously there are Canadians who just on principle are not going to travel to the United States right now,” Hill said. “It’s a meaningful part of the Canadian population that’s 25 or 30 percent of folks who travel from Canada are not willing to do so right now and you know that’s really just a fact, and until the situation changes, they’re not going to change their minds.”
But Hill is optimistic that once cold weather sets into Canada and hockey season starts, Canadian residents may reconsider their travel options.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
