While there won’t be quite as many people making the annual trek, Las Vegas still ranks among the top 10 Thanksgiving destinations in the US, according to AAA.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that according to information from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), when the five-day holiday weekend kicks off on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected that some 317,000 travelers will invade Sin City, a mere 0.3 percent drop from Thanksgiving past.
Jackie Dennis, spokeswoman for the LVCVA, said the slight decline was not attributed to the tragedy on Oct. 1, but instead to 175 less available hotel rooms reportedly due to renovations, as reported by the local news agency.
That being said, Las Vegas ranks No.5 on AAA’s Top 10 Thanksgiving Destinations based on AAA.com bookings.
According to figures from the LVCVA, visitors to the gambling mecca are expected to dole out approximately $244.7 million on hotels, gambling and food during the Thanksgiving weekend, just 0.3 percent less compared with the same time last year. The authority reportedly said that 94 percent of the region’s 148,532 available hotel rooms will be occupied on the weekend.
AAA officials predict drivers in Las Vegas can look forward to paying more for gasoline this Thanksgiving than they have in the three years previous. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that on Thursday, Nov. 16, gasoline was on average $2.67 in the Las Vegas Valley, which is 20 cents more than a year ago.
Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Illia said about 60 percent of Sin City’s visitors will be traveling by car, with The Strip and Interstate 15 the busiest areas. Illia said, “As such, we encourage people to drive safely and allow additional travel time to reach their destination,” according to the news agency.
During the five-day travel period that begins on Wednesday, roughly the same number of travelers, 602,000, will make their way through McCarran International as did last year, according to Christine Crews airport spokeswoman.
According to AAA, the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see the highest volume of travelers since 2005, with an increase of 1.6 million arriving at their destinations by road, rail, waterway and sky.