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Scoop, I think your outlook is a bit clouded by your freely admitted dislike of Las Vegas. I can understand it, as it sounds like you might have one tenth the contempt for LV that I have for the failed socialist state of the PRK. I'm sure there is some good, but the negative is so overwhelming to me, that I'm probably not going to admit it if I were to see it. Think there might be some truth to that?
LV definitely DOES have a purpose (as already pointed out) that is a pretty significant part of peoples lives: entertainment. Sure the internet has changed the dynamics of that, but there is no doubt that entertainment is a big part of the economy. And there are other industries in LV: military, aviation, construction, and all of the "support" industries that are needed to make those run.
The real key is adapting to the changing entertainment environment. I'd tend to think LV will modify itself to fit the new "norm". Unless you can really say that LV is the same today as it was 60-70 years ago, I'd say they have a decent track record of keeping up with what it's customers want. You may be right...tourists may not want to see "copies" of other things when they can easily see the real thing. So..the guys with the big bucks, and the vision will have to create their own experience, rather than taking the easy way out like they've done for the past 20 years or so. You can see some of that with all of the upper scale properties/restaurants now...They are moving back to the adult experience, and away from the disneyland version.
I think the whole country is going through a change of identity. And big factories are unfortunately not an easy way to determine worth any more. Think silicon valley is dotted with factories? I bet you'd love living there. Or what about Vail...not exactly dotted with production plants, but tell me you wouldn't feel that city had "class and culture"? I personally don't think LV is any different than any other metropolitan area.
If that's the case, Las Vegas doesn't have much of a future. People are moving away from the adult theme park aspect. Why go to Las Vegas and see second-rate copies of the Eiffle Tower or the canals of Venice when the real thing is just a plane ticket away? Thanks to social media, it's easy, easy, easy to hop online and make real friends in places you'd like to visit. That gets the traveler local insight on where to stay, where to eat, and how to get around. The language barrier is obviated with the right app. There's no reason* to settle for Paris, the casino, when Paris, the city is so easy to explore.
Las Vegas as a tourist destination has a future in conventions, pool parties, big concerts (like EDC), and similar. We're moving away from gambling and travel-subsitution. (Anyone who equates a visit to Luxor casino with a visit to Luxor, Egypt is a freakin' idiot. Luxor casino is certainly safer these days. But the only thing these two areas have in common is their name. And that's only useful for a crossword puzzle.)
Thankfully, the market will reward the resorts which give the people what they want. And guess what, Steve Wynn? People don't demand "Show Stoppers, the Musical Experience." Septegenarians demand that sort of thing. But they're on their way out.
I have a feeling it's only a matter of time before we see "Macarena! The Cirque Show" to appeal to older Gen Yers.
* OK, there's ONE reason. This sort of thing will always appeal to rubes, hicks, hayseeds, and Larry-the-Cable-Guy wannabees who "ain't goin' to that cheese-eatin' country, no way, no how." It will appeal to the anti-passport crowd -- who want everything bland, homogenous, and with easy access to corn dogs. But that group is on the decline, thankfully. I sincerely hope that they extinct themselves and nobody ever takes their place.
But can they get away with the kinds of things there that they can get away with in Las Vegas? Can they see the kinds of things in those countries that they can in Las Vegas? Can they travel there in less time for less money? Trust me, the Luxor in Las Vegas is a lot more fun than the real Luxor in Upper Egypt or the pyramids in Giza. It's a 6 hour flight from the West coast to the East coast of the US. Then a 9 hour flight across the Atlantic to Cairo. Then a 10 hour trip by train between Cairo and Luxor and you don't have a language barrier and hawkers to worry about or being in the middle of country in turmoil battling an Islamic insurgency. The resorts in LV may not be the actual experience but they're the themes the visitors wish to enjoy.
Also how do you explain the people who travel to Las Vegas from foreign countries? Every time I go down to the Strip there are visitors from abroad enjoying Las Vegas. One British couple said it was cheaper for them to go on vacation to Las Vegas and buy all their kids clothes for the school year at the outlets here and take them back home than it was to go on vacation elsewhere and buy their kids school clothes at home. The shopping is another plus here.
Trust me, the Luxor in Las Vegas is a lot more fun than the real Luxor in Upper Egypt or the pyramids in Giza.
I lived in Egypt. I've seen just about the entirety of that country. Comparing the Luxor casino to Luxor is like comparing lighting bugs to lightning.
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Also how do you explain the people who travel to Las Vegas from foreign countries?
Las Vegas is a destination in and of itself. It should quit trying to pretend to be what it isn't (Venice, New York, Egypt, Paris), and be what it is. This city still rests on its laurels to a small extent on the fact it was the epitome of cool in the 1960s. A-list performers played Vegas in their prime. We didn't just get performers at the tail-end of their career.
Las Vegas is the tourist mecca for people for land-lubber Americans who don't hold a passport. And for Europeans (who completely understand the concept of hub-and-spoke travel), we're a convenient hub with interesting spokes to the greatest national parks in the country.
I lived in Egypt. I've seen just about the entirety of that country. Comparing the Luxor casino to Luxor is like comparing lighting bugs to lightning.
Then we have something in common. When did you live there?
I think you can understand my sentiment that the Luxor here is far better than the Luxor there when you factor in the differences like the garbage and broken glass littering the streets, the wild dogs barking at you, the leering males of all ages, even some of the females will leer at you but for what you're wearing, the hawkers pushing their cheap wears on you, the insane traffic mixed with the donkey and carts in a city of 25 million, the blood soaked city streets when they sacrifice livestock for a holiday, the noise pollution, the call to prayer five times a day with religious programming on TV constantly. If you've never been in a predominately Islamic society it can be quite the culture shock. It took me about three months to adjust.
Post revolution there is the threat of being kidnapped in Minya or Sinai for ransom or negotiation of the release of a family member in detention, for women the threat of sexual harassment and rape with impunity, for anyone including foreigners the threat of being swept up in security sweeps when random protests break out and being thrown in prison facing trial on trumped up charges just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the rampant xenophobia and accusations of being a foreign spy, the widespread illiteracy and poverty. The threat of car bombs in the city. The threat of getting your head chopped off. The threat of your tour bus being blown up or driving off the road and crashing. I could go on but it's just exhausting. Point being it's more dangerous than ever going there.
Must be why our visitor numbers are better than ever.
Who cares what's bringing people into the city as long as they are coming. We are a light in a bone-dry desert that should even exist... Yet pulling in more people than we ever have.
Now factor in a few things...
1. Mandalay Bay's expanded and renovated convention center.
2. Riviera closing (which couldn't operate without taking a loss) and the LVCA expanding into a world class business district.
3. Vegas about to get it's first professional sports team which will play at a 100% privately-funded arena ... Name another US city getting privately funded arenas built. This is further diversify the entertainment options in LV.
5. Additional infill entertainment projects popping up such as the TopGolf facility behind the MGM. That is a hell of a lot better than dirt.
6. MGM building the festival grounds on at Strip/Sahara. Sure, they aren't being used much yet, but again... Better than dirt.
One of the biggest things plaguing Las Vegas is the pessimistic views of some of it's citizens.
Guess what... You didn't move to SF or NY ... This is Vegas. We entertain... And we are doing it in a wider variety of ways than ever before.
I think you can understand my sentiment that the Luxor here is far better than the Luxor there when you factor in the differences like the garbage and broken glass littering the streets, the wild dogs barking at you, the leering males of all ages, even some of the females will leer at you but for what you're wearing, the hawkers pushing their cheap wears on you, the insane traffic mixed with the donkey and carts in a city of 25 million, the blood soaked city streets when they sacrifice livestock for a holiday, the noise pollution, the call to prayer five times a day with religious programming on TV constantly.
That's quite a bunch of "ifs."
And I'm sure you can understand my position that this:
is absolutely nothing like this:
Seriously, what goober says, "I've always wanted to go to Egypt. But it's too dangerous. So I'll go to Las Vegas and stay at the Luxor instead! That's just as good!"
Sorry you had a bad time in Egypt. I loved it there. But Mubarak was still in power and we weren't killing every Muslim we could target at the time. It was a brutal police state. But it was a relatively safe brutal police state.
Let's put it this way: I'm planning a trip to India to see the Taj Mahal because there's a very good chance that it could collapse in the near future. (The structural wooden frame is rotting.) Agra isn't particularly safe. It's a royal pain to get to. It takes a long visa process. There are sections of the city which are filthy. And many visitors describe the experience as a colossal let down.
But it's something I'd like to see, and I'll just tack it on to all the rest of the things in India that I want to see. But under no circumstances am I thinking, "Well, I could just fly to Atlantic City and visit the Trump Taj Mahal as a substitute."
What kind of simpleton thinks that way? I can't even wrap my head around it.
When I worked in high tech, every year we would assemble the field sales & support organizations for an annual sales conference (sometimes twice/year). When you bring in 5000 field people plus another 2500 HQ people to rally the troops (roll out the product plan for the coming year plus marketing support to help them sell) there are only a handful of cities that have the physical infrastructure to handle it all -- multiple grand ballrooms (one for meals, another for presentations) and breakout rooms, etc... and all easily accessible via air travel from around the globe, keeping everyone under one roof.
Las Vegas, Orlando, Montreal, maybe Nashville ... then the list dries up. The physical infrastructure available here for major business meetings is best of class, and horribly expensive to replicate.
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And let's face it -- gambling simply isn't as popular an activity as people here make it out to be. Gambling numbers are plummeting. People are rejecting it as a form of entertainment.
I agree to a point. But Las Vegas has become a destination for:
* Gaming
* Foodies
* Shows
* Nightclubs
* Hub for visiting key national parks
* Business meetings
And without gaming does any of the above infrastructure exist? Would any of it have been built in the first place?
This is a city that was built on gaming. And gaming is in decline. Las Vegas is going to need to find a new raison d'être, and fast -- pool parties and big electronic music concerts seems to be a valid direction. Conventions still work.
Being "adult Epcot" didn't work in the first place and isn't working now. Is anyone excited to stay at Luxor (compared to the Bellagio or Wynn)? Or eat at the Luxor buffet? Or see Carrottop?
And I'm sure you can understand my position that this:
is absolutely nothing like this:
Seriously, what goober says, "I've always wanted to go to Egypt. But it's too dangerous. So I'll go to Las Vegas and stay at the Luxor instead! That's just as good!"
Sorry you had a bad time in Egypt. I loved it there. But Mubarak was still in power and we weren't killing every Muslim we could target at the time. It was a brutal police state. But it was a relatively safe brutal police state.
Let's put it this way: I'm planning a trip to India to see the Taj Mahal because there's a very good chance that it could collapse in the near future. (The structural wooden frame is rotting.) Agra isn't particularly safe. It's a royal pain to get to. It takes a long visa process. There are sections of the city which are filthy. And many visitors describe the experience as a colossal let down.
But it's something I'd like to see, and I'll just tack it on to all the rest of the things in India that I want to see. But under no circumstances am I thinking, "Well, I could just fly to Atlantic City and visit the Trump Taj Mahal as a substitute."
What kind of simpleton thinks that way? I can't even wrap my head around it.
It's not about being a "simpleton" ... It's about an enjoyable experience... And that is defined differently from person to person. This city provides the ultimate overall adult experience. We HAVE to cover everything... Dining, shopping, gambling, conventions, shooting ranges, strip clubs, concerts, rodeos, boxing, awards shows, canyon/park tours, museums, college athletics, golfing...
Hate to break it to ya bud... but if you're bored and let down with that, it's not the city... it's you.
You are missing the point -- probably willfully so. My point is that Las Vegas is not an acceptable substitute for Europe, New York or Egypt. People who want to see these places will go to these places. The themed resort is a dead concept. We won't be seeing any more Venetians. Future development will be more like Cosmopolitan and City Center.
Our quest to be all things for all people isn't going to work. We don't have a Broadway. We don't have a real Eiffel Tower. We don't have a Vatican. We don't have a Great Wall. We don't have a coral reef, or decent ski slopes. When we try to simulate these things, we end up looking like Dubai -- pathetic.
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