Tryphavana Cross (Senior Account Director representing Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) in Ireland), Kate Wik (Chief Marketing Officer, LVCVA) and Molly Castano (Vice President of Public Relations & Communication, LVCVA), Jenny Rafter (Head of Global Leisure Sales, Aer Lingus) and Kelli O’Malley (Head of Communications Strategy Management, Aer Lingus) along with members of the Irish travel trade and media celebrated the imminent inaugural direct route from Dublin to Las Vegas with Aer Lingus.
The first Dublin to Las Vegas flight takes off on Nevada Day, 25th October, a day of celebration across the state.
Interview with Kate Wik, Chief Marketing Officer, LVCVA
Tell me about the excitement around the destination with the new route starting on the 25th of October – how does the team feel about it?
“We are thrilled to welcome Aer Lingus. For us, we are incredibly focused on the return of international visitors so having another direct flight and the very first one from Ireland, we’re absolutely thrilled in Las Vegas.”
“Las Vegas, as I’ve said a lot, is about constant reinvention, constant innovation. And so, while you may have been to Vegas in the past, every time you come, there is something new.”
“Since the pandemic, we opened three brand new, integrated Casino Resorts, ground-up builds and they are phenomenal. Our Skyline has completely changed because of it.”
These aren’t small, low-key hotels. These are multi-billion dollar properties.
“That’s right! The most recent, Fountaineblue, which is on the North End of the strip, has 3,600 rooms. It’s almost a two-and-a-half-billion-dollar resort. They spared no expense. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“Additionally, we have Resorts World which opened right during the pandemic. We prioritised essential jobs so we could keep our construction works going over the pandemic to ensure that once everybody was able to travel again, we would be poised not just for the return of travel but for growth and to see new opportunities. So, we have those two properties and the third one open, which was Circa Resort in Downtown Las Vegas, was the first billion-dollar resort in Downtown Las Vegas ever. That opened, as well, in 2021. It’s just been wonderful to have these new products on the market for new visitors to come and check out.”
And I know you guys have been pushing Sports a lot over the last few years and you seem to have timed the Formula One tie-in perfectly with the “Drive to Survive” TV show which just exploded Formula One.
“That’s right. Yes, you guys know Netflix here very well, their show ‘Drive to Survive’ put Formula One on the map in the United States. When Liberty Media purchased Formula One, they were really keen on growth in the US market so having a race in Las Vegas was a top priority for them. In working with them, we launched the inaugural race last November so we’re about to come up on our second race and it completely transformed the destination.”
“You have this very iconic legacy race of Formula One, brought to Las Vegas Boulevard where you have the drivers going 215 miles an hour down this iconic road that we shut down for the race. It was a spectacle to be seen and the good news is it’s every year so people can come and check it out.”
“The impact that it had on the destination is massive. It had a $1.5 billion dollar economic impact for Southern Nevada. It took, what was generally a slow weekend for Las Vegas (the weekend before Thanksgiving) and turned the entire month into our second-best-performing month in history. So it really has generated tremendous value in terms of driving visitation [figures] and also, putting a global spotlight on Las Vegas. The race was about two hours long over a couple days. It put a spotlight on the destination that I couldn’t buy from an advertising point of view.”
It is such a huge amount of screen time of just the main strip.
“Exactly, it was beautiful and the drivers loved it. Aside from just being a spectacle, it was one of the most exciting races of the 2023 season. I think it had the most overtakes of 180 in Formula One history so it made it exciting for those true die-hard fans. So, you pair the excitement and thrill of that sport in the entertainment capital of the world, and you just get this magic, that happens. It’s an unbelievable experience. I encourage everybody to come check it out.”
As you said, I know that entertainment is really key for Las Vegas and with the Irish going over now the direct flight on the 25th of October, are there any key residencies that people should be checking out?
“Oh my gosh, they do not call us the entertainment capital of the world for no reason. It really depends on what style of music you’re into. We have everybody from Lady Gaga to Adele, who has a few final performances, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood… I mean, you name it, the world’s biggest artists play in Las Vegas and it’s not just from a touring show point of view.”
“Yes, we’ve got the big concert set tour but they build out these multi-million dollar theatre stages for these very unique and bespoke performances to that Vegas visitor, and they become very intimate. And because they do so many of these shows, the performers really get chatty with the audience and sort of shed light on who they are as a person. It’s really a unique experience from just a regular touring show. I highly recommend any of the residencies. They are so fun.”
I never thought of that, the fact that they are residencies that they could really flesh out that stage show, that they don’t have to be able to pack it up and move it the next day.
It’s not always on the go, they get very comfortable and then it becomes like you’re entering their living room and they’re just talking to you almost like a friend. So it’s a really special experience that’s very unique to Vegas.
And then of course we know dining is a huge thing but I might ask about the shopping element as the Irish love to shop.
I love it. Then come to Vegas. It’s interesting. All the luxury Brands have Flagship stores in Las Vegas and they’re usually the best-performing stores for them. So you’ll see the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes – all those big brands are there but we also have amazing shopping malls. These are more everyday brands and the brands that I would like to shop at. And so, there is shopping around every corner. Every single Casino has a shopping experience. On top of this, there are standalone malls that exist. It’s definitely a fun past time.
And are there a lot of Outlets there as well?
There are Outlets. I’m a big fan of the outlets on the North End of the strips called Premium Outlets of Las Vegas. They have all the designer brands, all the mainstream brands at great value. That’s a great place to go. And it’s an outdoor mall. One of the Beauties about Las Vegas, especially for the Irish visitor, is that we’ve got sunshine 330 days out of the year. It’s gorgeous weather. It’s a luxury to be able to walk around outdoors and shop and just kind of stroll around.
We hope that the Aer Lingus flight is very successful. We’re excited about this new partnership and we think it just opens up access for Ireland and also for all of the UK to come and visit Las Vegas a little more frequently.
Irish Travel Trade & Media Lunch
Tryphavana Cross introduced Kate Wik who highlighted the many characteristics of this iconic destination in a category of one. No where is quite like this neon city that continues to evolve and innovate to make sure every time there is plenty of new experiences on offer. And now, finally, it has never been easier for the Irish to sample the city’s extensive offering.
Kate Wik, Chief Marketing Officer, LVCVA
Kate Wik addressed the guests at the Irish travel trade and media lunch in the Shelbourne Hotel, “Thank you so much for joining us. We are thrilled to be here. To kick things off, we wanted to give you a little bit of a reintroduction for some of you to Las Vegas and an introduction for those who have not yet been.”
“So a lot of things have changed. We’re going to highlight some of those new things for you. First and foremost, Kate Wik – I am the Chief Marketing Officer for Las Vegas. I technically work for the Las Vegas, Visitors and Convention Authority. We do everything from bring major events to town like Super Bowl and Formula One to market the destination.”
“We work closely with our airline partners to make sure that we’re enabling access to the destination and we are the voice of tourism for Las Vegas. Ultimately, that’s who we are and what we do.”
“So people are coming and they they have this built up sense of wanting to experience life after the pandemic and they came to Vegas and they were spending money. The great news from a Vegas point of view is that there is rooms for growth and there is room for more visitation and more opportunities.”
While 2023 was an epic year for Las Vegas with revenue numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels, visitor numbers have not quite recovered from pre-pandemic levels. Two segments are lagging, namely domestic business which is expected to return to in 2024 and international visitors which is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels in c. 2025.
“So that’s a big reason why we’re here today because we’re excited to welcome back all of our international visitors. “
“When I think about Las Vegas and my job and of my team, it’s to make sure that everyone knows we are the undisputed global destination, not just for leisure travel but business travel. We do so much in our town. We were quite literally built for events and leisure and vacations. That’s that’s what we are here for. And so it’s really about just telling the world, that’s what we do.”
“This is my product from Las Vegas, you know, a lot of people go out and have to sell green beans or shoes or whatever. I get to sell this very dynamic destination that is changing on a daily basis… “
“You know in a couple years so much has changed and that is a truth to Las Vegas. It is about constant innovation, we are always evolving our product. This is a little bit of the history of Las Vegas when you think about where we came from, how we were born. Do you know we’re not even as old as this beautiful hotel that we’re standing in today hitting their 200-year anniversary?”
Not Even a Century in the Making, Las Vegas
Kate continued, “Las Vegas gaming was legalised in the thirties. The 1940s, 1950s saw exclusive growth but it was really the eighties and nineties that we started to welcome this new era of the megaresort. That kicked off at the Mirage in 1989 and that transformed the hospitality industry globally. That’s really the truth about Las Vegas.”
“I have sort of three words that I’m using throughout this presentation to talk about what Vegas is today. We are rooted in constant evolution. If there’s one truth to Las Vegas, it’s that every time you come back, you will experience something new.”
Last year, Las Vegas welcomed 52,760 visitors from Ireland*, a number that is expected to grow in 2024 and beyond thanks to this new direct flight.
Affectionately known as ‘Neon City’ on account of its dazzling entertainment, iconic resorts, and world-renowned residencies featuring talents like Adele, Elton John, and U2, more than 40 million visitors flocked to the bright lights of Vegas last year. Offering 320 days of sunshine a year, the city boasts more than 151,000 hotel rooms and is popular with both international and domestic travellers. In October, the city experiences average highs of 28°C.
Las Vegas provides an exciting backdrop for tourists looking to experience top-tier sporting events year-round. The ‘Desert Oasis’ is home to some 33 stadiums and arenas – including the state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena. Many major boxing and UFC matches in recent years have taken place in Las Vegas, including fights from Ireland’s most renowned boxers such as Barry McGuigan and Katie Taylor. The city is also home to the National Football League’s Las Vegas Raiders, a team that has a growing Irish fanbase.
Figures from the LVCVA show that the average international visitor stays for more than five nights with an endless array of activities and attractions to fill any type of itinerary. . During their time in Las Vegas, 6% of visitors take in a sporting event, while 25% enjoy one of the city’s dazzling shows.
Beyond its reputation as the ‘Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World’, Las Vegas offers an exceptional experience from star-studded residencies to Michelin-starred dining, luxurious resorts, and stunning natural attractions such as the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.
Jenny Rafter (Head of Global Leisure Sales, Aer Lingus)
Jenny welcomed guests and highlighted that “next Friday, the 25th of October, which coincidentally is Nevada day so it’s a big celebration for the state.”
The route will be operating three times a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through to 29th of April. It will operate on an Aer Lingus Airbus A330 aircraft which offers 30 seats in the business cabin and 283 in economy.
Jenny highlighted, “Aer Lingus has been flying across the Atlantic for over 65 years. We have a long history connecting Ireland to the US but in my time of being in Aer Lingus which is since 2016, this is the one route every single travel agent and media partner in this room has asked for. And so, we are super excited that this is going to be a direct route.”
Fares start from €479 return. It’s the entertainment capital of the world but also [the capital] for sport, for culinary, for business – it has everything to offer the Irish consumer that wants to escape the Irish winter.”
The Irish consumer who wants to escape the Irish winter. So on behalf of our Lingus, we’re super excited and massive thank you.”
