In 2020, Las Vegas will host the event for the fifth time in its history, following the 1982, 1989, 2008 and 2013 editions. Hill and the bureau's International Sales Director, Rafael Villanueva, gave some details on organizing the next edition of IPW. They are expected to have the same structure and programming, which are already traditional of the fair, in addition to the presence of approximately six thousand people - between North American suppliers and destinations, buyers from all over the world and local and international press.
The tourism authority in Las Vegas celebrates last season's numbers. In 2018, 42.1 million travelers chose the city of Nevada as their travel destination, being 20% of them international tourists. About 6.5 million people were in Las Vegas for conventions - in all, the city received 22,000 meetings throughout the year.
The numbers give peace of mind for the bureau to work the future. "We are building the next generation of Las Vegas right now," said Steve Hill, listing upcoming openings such as Las Vegas Stadium (by 2020), and renovations such as the expansion of the Convention Center (2021).
With 229 international flights each week, flying to ten different countries, the CEO knows the importance of direct links in developing a destination. According to Hill, it was evident the success of the temporary flight between São Paulo and Las Vegas, operated by Latam Brasil between June and September 2018 and between December 2018 and March 2019.
Without specifying figures, the executive calculated that the increase of Brazilian leisure visitors exceeded the rate of 50% in comparison with the previous year. "The demand is there, it needs to be worked on. Brazil is an important market for us, it is huge and an excellent opportunity to reach other markets in South America," he said.
"We have a genuine interest and we are in talks with Latam Brasil to resume the operation in the coming seasons, and I'm sure they also have that interest," Hill continued, leaving open the possibility of a year-round direct flight. "I do not want to anticipate and confirm anything," he snapped.
"Having a good flight experience, whether on a direct route or with a quick stop, is key to increasing international visits in Las Vegas. We work with marketing in different markets, but without a flight this does not really work, "he added.
Source: GMB / Panrotas
