[minoxydable]

Hello everyone.

I am an architecture student, and am currently working on my diploma project which is about Las Vegas.

I have a simple question; in an environmental context where energy is getting more and more rare, thus travelling is more and more expensive, what is the future of a city such as LV which economy relies for a very big part on tourism?

Thank you for your time.

[nevadaned]

I'm not sure I understand your contention that energy is getting more rare, certain forms yes. Regarding the fact that traveling and more importantly commerce and trade will become increasingly more expensive is a real threat to not only the cost of goods that we buy but the success of places such as Las Vegas that are 100% dependent on fuel/transportation costs. Las Vegas gets hit very hard when fuel prices increase. We have not figured out away around it here. Las Vegas for the most part is stuck in the 1970's and there aren't a lot of forward looking people here beyond the ones that want to build new shopping centers and casinos. I would use Las Vegas as an example, citing the Las Vegas Desert Express/MAGLEV in particular as ways to decrease the impact of higher fuel costs. Regarding aviation and vehicular traffic, we as the rest of the world have not figured a way around this.

I would not look for possible solutions from the people of LV as they are about the least forward looking people I have come across. Las Vegas is a great example for you but in terms of progressive movements and sustainability of the local economy, the citizens of LV are about the last people I would use as resources for your paper.

[yellowsnow]

From where I'm sitting, so far Las Vegas seems to be competing with high costs by being the best at what it has to offer. Years ago, I remember the locals lamenting about what was to become of us with the prospect of gambling in Atlantic City and Indian casinos on the horizon. In retrospect, I wonder if they do damage or just whet people's appetites to experience the real thing. Las Vegas.

People will always find money to do things they really want to do. They will save and scrimp elsewhere to be able to vacation here. The first time I visited Las Vegas, decades ago, my husband, then a college student, financed the trip by digging ditches for a summer. People are still out there digging a ditch so they can afford to visit us. As long as we take care of our tourists, offer the biggest and the best, they will keep on coming.

Here's today's example. Las Vegas is full of tourists from Asia and Australia. Why not Macau? It's much closer. Chances are many of these people have been to Macau but they wanted to come to Vegas to see the real thing. All those other places are just substitutes for Las Vegas.

I haven't been to Macau since the casinos were built. But I have been to Indian casinos and Atlantic City. I've even gambled in Monaco. Poor substitutes for Las Vegas. It's just not the same. In one small area, in the middle of a desert, every decadent pleasure known to man exists in one small city, Las Vegas. No one else can match what we have right in our back yards. Money rules and no one cares who you are or what you do.

Vegas will always have it's ups and downs. No doubt we are affected by the economy and the cost of energy. As long as we are perceived to be a place everyone wants to go, we will be OK. Now it's energy... Yesterday it was gambling in other states/countries. We are still here.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

From where I'm sitting, so far Las Vegas seems to be competing with high costs by being the best at what it has to offer. Years ago, I remember the locals lamenting about what was to become of us with the prospect of gambling in Atlantic City and Indian casinos on the horizon. In retrospect, I wonder if they do damage or just whet people's appetites to experience the real thing. Las Vegas.

People will always find money to do things they really want to do. They will save and scrimp elsewhere to be able to vacation here. The first time I visited Las Vegas, decades ago, my husband, then a college student, financed the trip by digging ditches for a summer. People are still out there digging a ditch so they can afford to visit us. As long as we take care of our tourists, offer the biggest and the best, they will keep on coming.

Here's today's example. Las Vegas is full of tourists from Asia and Australia. Why not Macau? It's much closer. Chances are many of these people have been to Macau but they wanted to come to Vegas to see the real thing. All those other places are just substitutes for Las Vegas.

I haven't been to Macau since the casinos were built. But I have been to Indian casinos and Atlantic City. I've even gambled in Monaco. Poor substitutes for Las Vegas. It's just not the same. In one small area, in the middle of a desert, every decadent pleasure known to man exists in one small city, Las Vegas. No one else can match what we have right in our back yards. Money rules and no one cares who you are or what you do.

Vegas will always have it's ups and downs. No doubt we are affected by the economy and the cost of energy. As long as we are perceived to be a place everyone wants to go, we will be OK. Now it's energy... Yesterday it was gambling in other states/countries. We are still here.

I live in Iowa, and we have casinos. We have had them for decades, starting with riverboat casinos and Indian casions, and eventually branching out to "regular" casinos that only allowed slots. That then changed to table games allowed. Here in the Des Moines metro we have Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino that has live horseracing as well as a huge casino and resort. It generates a TON of revenue for our county. Do people here just go there (or one of the several Indian casinos that are just a short drive away?) instead of Vegas? Nope. Like Yellowsnow said, there's no comparison and people will figure out a way to travel if they really want to.

[Croce]

Originally Posted by minoxydable

Hello everyone.

I am an architecture student, and am currently working on my diploma project which is about Las Vegas.

I have a simple question; in an environmental context where energy is getting more and more rare, thus travelling is more and more expensive, what is the future of a city such as LV which economy relies for a very big part on tourism?

Thank you for your time.

Replace LV in your "simple" question with Paris (with which you should be more familiar) and the answer to your question will be the same.

[BBMW]

Not so much an energy issue directly, but the airlines are only marginally profitable, and have only gotten back to being that way (from taking horrendous losses), by reducing flight, jacking up fares, and imposing a large number of silly fees. The end result is that it's much more expensive to fly. Since fuel cost is a factor here, I guess it fits your criteria

This is a big issue for Vegas. I'm in NYC. I used to pay $250-350 to fly out to Vegas. Now it's more like $500. I have a hard time justifying it.

Originally Posted by minoxydable

Hello everyone.

I am an architecture student, and am currently working on my diploma project which is about Las Vegas.

I have a simple question; in an environmental context where energy is getting more and more rare, thus travelling is more and more expensive, what is the future of a city such as LV which economy relies for a very big part on tourism?

Thank you for your time.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Croce

Replace LV in your "simple" question with Paris (with which you should be more familiar) and the answer to your question will be the same.

Not really.

Paris has reason to exist besides hoovering money out of people's pockets. Paris also benefits from Europe's great rail system. People can be brought there efficiently and inexpensively. The US only has cars and planes, which are woefully inefficient.