By Abel Garcia, KTNV, March 23, 2023
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — By next February, Las Vegas may not only be seen as the entertainment capital of the world, but as a contender for sports capital of the world.
From the Sweet 16 to the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in June, the F1 Grand Prix race in November, and Super Bowl 58, sports tourism is booming in Las Vegas.
It’s not only benefiting the strip, but making an impact on businesses all across the valley. Over at the Omelet House in Sun City Summerlin, General Manager Mike Norton says his restaurant is always full, “when the sports people hit, they come in droves.”
Norton says sports is the reason for the recent business boom hitting the Las Vegas area. “We are the sports capital of the world, for years it was only boxing now we are getting a little bit of everything.”
Omelet House owner, Ignazio Sessa, says the influx of sports in Southern Nevada is helping all his restaurants.
“It’s tremendous our weekends and our Monday through Friday business has gone up by 30%, believe it or not.”
Lori Nelson-Kraft is with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). She says this is exactly what her peers were hoping for, “When tourism does well our entire local community does well and we all win.”
Nelson-Kraft continued, saying Las Vegas went from having some of the biggest viewing and watching parties for so many major sporting events, Like March Madness and the Super Bowl, to now actually being in the position to host these large-scale events.
The LVCVA representative said that with about 150,00 hotel rooms across the valley, the city can easily handle 300,000 visitors at once.
Across town, owner of the Las Vegas Valley Winery in Henderson, Mike Schoenbaechler, says he depends on tourists. “We have definitely seen an increase of people and we hope to see that grow more.”
He says Las Vegas’ transformation is incredible. “The food, the entertainment, the sports everything adds to it, it’s the full package you can do anything you want when you come to Vegas.”
With the demolition of the iconic rotunda at Caesars Palace to make way for the Formula One race track to the construction of the F1 headquarters just off the strip, it has been a big year for changes in Vegas.