How to find transportation from the airport to Las Vegas hotels

How to package a Las Vegas vacation and save

Meetings and Travel Vital to the Las Vegas Economy

"The perception that Las Vegas is merely a gaming and leisure destination is antiquated and uneducated. The meeting facilities in Las Vegas are among the best in the world, and the resorts represent major international companies, many of whom are publicly traded on Wall Street," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Las Vegas, NV hosts approximately 22,000 meetings, conventions and trade shows annually, attracting 6 million visitors who account for an economic impact of $8.5 billion. The meeting industry directly employs more than 46,000 Southern Nevada workers, a figure that increases to more than 75,000 when indirect impacts are combined.

"We are extremely concerned about the unintended consequences of restricting corporate meetings, events and incentive travel programs. Business-related travel creates 2.4 million jobs, $244 billion in spending and $39 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local level," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.

Travel and tourism, including meeting and business travelers, are a vital part of the national economy and will be a key element in stimulating its growth, especially in Las Vegas, Nevada which depends on large groups to supplement individual tourists.

Las Vegas, Nevada is the main U.S. destination for meetings and conventions. Las Vegas provides planners with unparalleled facilities, accommodations, amenities and service to conduct a successful event.

Events typically experience an increase in attendance of approximately 15 percent and research has shown that delegates are more focused on conducting business while they are in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has been the No. 1 trade show destination for 14 consecutive years according to the "Tradeshow Week 200" list of largest trade shows.

ABOUT THE LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With approximately 140,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 9.7 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.VisitLasVegas.com.

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 5, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Tips on tipping in Las Vegas Las Vegas Vacation Packages Airfare | Car Rentals Dining | Entertainment Hotels | Real Estate Time Shares | Transportation Las Vegas Video Tours

McCarren Opens its New Super Terminal

As you walk into McCarran International Airport’s brand new terminal (T3) you instantly notice how open it is. In a way, it almost seems like an entirely new airport compared to McCarran’s other terminals.

Terminal 3 is a full service terminal, meaning you don’t have to check in through the main airport drop off and take a tram. It comes fully equipped with its own check in system; baggage claim and passenger pick up area.

Chris Jones, who is McCarran’s public affairs director invited Lets Fly Cheaper.com on a personal tour of the $2.4 billion facility, as well as an in depth look at some of the terminals new amenities.

Another thing we noticed on the tour was the lack of airline logos littering the walls of the check in area. Jones explained that the only time a logo will appear on the monitors is when one of the airlines operating out of T3 will need the check in space.

We have all been victims of the endless search for power outlets for our phones, laptops and tablets. Some of the new features to alleviate that problem include multiple recharge zones for those travelers looking to fuel up their devices. The recharge zones feature both the standard outlet as well as USB ports. In addition there are numerous ground outlets at every gate.

International arrivals at McCarran have also received a much need make over. When all international flights arrived at the old Terminal 2, the process to get through customs was a clustered nightmare. Terminal 3 features seven corridors for the de-boarding process. The passengers no longer have to bottle neck into one congested area and wait in lengthy lines. Now, they simply get off the aircraft and walk through the individual corridors to the customs processing area. A much needed improvement for the airport.

The future is here at McCarran. The terminal has installed the much talked about self-boarding system. Passengers will no longer have to experience the cattle call process so many airlines still utilize. Each of the new gates is equipped with the new system, however not everyone has jumped on board. JetBlue is the only airline operating out of T3 currently using the self-boarding system. The other carriers are exploring the option for possible future use. Other state of the art features include digital ad spaces. The terminal is equipped with multiple electronic totem pole style advertisements at each gate. This gives passengers a one stop shop view of the variety of products and entertainment available during their stay in Las Vegas. It also creates a more efficient way for the airport to generate ad revenue by selling multiple ads to be displayed on each large monitor.

Food options in T3 are scattered throughout. They range from on the go fast food options to a more sophisticated meal at places like Las Vegas Chophouse or Dewar’s Clubhouse. Shopping is also in abundance. T3 features a farmer’s market style set up with various popular retailers such as Mac Makeup and Sharper Image. Jones tells me that McCarran uses a demographic when it comes to retail and food options. They want to cater to everyone who comes through the terminal, mainly those who spend money on retail items. For example, women tend to spend more on retail items so you will find more women friendly retailers.

The terminal also caters to the first and business class traveler. The Club at LAS is a private lounge that features a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of terminal traffic. Eric Pike, the manager of The Club at LAS was happy to show us around and extremely excited to be a part of the new expansion. Pike showed off some of the comfortable amenities of The Club, which include a bar, numerous wall mounted LCD televisions and even showers for those long haul travelers looking to freshen up. It also has a separate area for the kids. The Club is open to anyone for a fee of $35 and free to most business and first class travelers.

McCarran has done a fantastic job with the new terminal. They have finally eased up the congestion of international travel and given it a much more comfortable atmosphere. It’s a well-oiled machine poised for the continuous growth the airport will surely see in the future. Passenger traffic through McCarran is on the rise and new international carriers are expressing future interest in coming to Las Vegas.