KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasI-Team: Weak Dollar Attracts Foreigners to Las Vegas
The Memorial Day weekend doesn't just signal the beginning of summer travel for Americans but also for foreign visitors coming to Las Vegas.
With a weak dollar, international visitors say Las Vegas is a better value than ever. Virgin Atlantic Airways flight 43 from London touches down at McCarran International Airport bringing hundreds of passengers from Europe with pounds and euro in their wallets.
The passengers say the weak dollar is a big part of the reason they are coming to Las Vegas.
"The dollar is good for us. We get a good exchange so that's why we come to America," said Jayne Miles, visitor from London.
"Just means we get a lot more spending power over here like drinking and shopping," said Nigel Burdett, visitor from London.
The latest statistics show about 12-percent of all Las Vegas visitors come from other countries. While international visitors do gamble less than their domestic counterparts, they do spend far more on shopping, dining and entertainment.
"It is cheaper to come here than it is to go to Europe even though it is a longer flight," said Joanne Lee, visitor from London.
Tourism and airport officials are working to boost international visitor levels but one issue is getting them here. Right now, non-stop overseas flights to Las Vegas are scarce. The only current feeder countries are Germany, the United Kingdom and Korea.
But the airport is already preparing for the future. At the under-construction Terminal 3, there will be six gates capable of handling international flights with passport and customs controls.
International visitors agree that McCarran's international facilities need an upgrade.
"Well it's very small. It doesn't seem like an international airport but it obviously is," said Joanne Lee, visitor from London.
McCarran says the new Terminal 3 concourse is set to open in 2012.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says the average international visitor spends $360 per trip on food and drink and $240 on shopping and shows. Both numbers are about a third higher than domestic visitors.
