LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A hospitality and tourism expert sheds insight how a future Las Vegas NBA team would boost tourism and global tourism, as the “Entertainment Capital of the World” has worked to overcome slower visitation numbers.
Las Vegas has rebranded as the Sports Capital of the World, as more franchises move into the Valley and a bevy of athletic and sporting events are now held here, from the Super Bowl to Wrestlemania.
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“Sports do help differentiate our tourism because sports tourism is different from gaming tourism, and it’s different from conventions. Of course, we’re going to have people that are here for all of those things that are going to enjoy our sports, but people will travel to see their teams. The teams will be traveling here. And that adds to occupancy, that adds to ADR, that adds to all of our ancillary revenue,” said Dr. Amanda Belarmino of the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV.
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“Men’s professional basketball is such a hot commodity right now, not just within the country, but globally, that that’s going to really help add some things to us. We know we’ve struggled with international tourism since COVID. This is going to really, I think, help add to our luster of people wanting to come here because it adds to our entertainment portfolio, but it also adds to that sports portfolio,” she said, noting that markets in Asia have massive NBA fanbases.
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