The mission of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is to attract visitors by promoting Las Vegas as the world’s most desirable destination for leisure and business travel. Kala Peterson, communications manager, LVCVA, spoke to Express Travel World how she manages account teams in five different regions and executes public relations efforts globally to elevate awareness of the destination and grow international visitation. She has been with the LVCVA for more than two years, focusing on international public relations initiatives for South Korea, India, China, Australia and New Zealand. Peterson said, “Las Vegas has majorly shifted from being just a casino and gaming destination to a complete entertainment destination. We have introduced indoor as well as outdoor sports, collaborated with chefs and opened up world class restaurants and pushed the notch even higher by commencing live events that our visitors can enjoy. For 23 years, we have been the No.1 trade show destination and hope to maintain this long into the future.”
Commenting on how the LVCVA plans to attract Indian consumers, Peterson stated, “India is no. 12 source of overseas visitation to Las Vegas. We know how much they are passionate about sports and we now have one of the largest golf courses along with a huge food festival that happens every year showcasing world-class chefs like Gordon Ramsey. The visitors can even interact with their favourite chefs and taste different cuisines. To bring out the adventurous side of the Indian consumer, we even have car-driving and zip lining. We also know how much weddings are important to Indian consumers and we have made facilities of having your wedding over the Grand Canyon. You take a helicopter and when you reach there, you can pop a glass of champagne and toast to your wedding.”
Recent surveys state that out of 150, 000 rooms in Las Vegas, 84 per cent occupancy is present at all times. The destination has seen many new developments in recent times. The Park, a dining area along with a Park theatre has been opened. The Las Vegas residence has been home to Elton, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, and much more. The Downtown recently witnessed the opening of the Neon Museum which is a walkthrough of the history of Las Vegas and many of the exhibits are larger than life. The Smith centre conducts broadways and symphonies from over the world.