The casino capital of the world Las Vegas is rolling the dice well again as economic output linked to visitor spending rises to a new record in 2022, says report by the local tourism and convention promotion body.

A new report by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) says that tourism recovery in the popular gaming town has progressed beyond 2019 levels as the total economic output related to visitor spending reached a record USD 79.3 billion in 2022, a 24.7 pc increase from the previous record set in 2019.

The data was released as part of the annual Economic Impact of Southern Nevada’s Tourism Industry report which also outlines economic impacts associated with the region’s tourism industry and convention travel, including visitor spending on rooms, dining, shopping, sports, local transportation and other activities and amenities.

According to a press statement by LVCVA, after literally shutting down because of the pandemic, the city is back where it was before the outbreak. “These results are a powerful testament that what we do in concert with our resort partners to market this destination has an undeniable impact on our community,” says Steve Hill, CEO and President of the LVCVA, in the statement.

Las Vegas, as a tourist destination, has experienced dramatic growth in recent years with the addition of new resort properties, expanded convention and meeting space, professional sports teams, and new venues such as Allegiant Stadium, says the statement.

The statement adds that following the disproportionate impacts suffered by tourist destinations like Las Vegas during the pandemic, Las Vegas demonstrated a strong rebound as a favourite location for pent-up travel demand. Visitor spending in 2022 hit an all-time high of USD 44.9 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Total spending by visitors in 2022 outpaced the prior year by 24.4 pc and the 2019 total by 21.8 pc.

“As we emerged from the pandemic, our consumer research made clear it was the perfect moment for us to capitalise on pent-up travel demand. We are thrilled to see not only the strong rebound in visitation but also the significant impact our visitors have on our state’s economy,” says Kate Wik, chief marketing officer of the LVCVA.