The disturbing thing is that the figures are for international tourists. If I want to gamble, I don't need no Bellagio, MGM Grand or whatever. And if I want paid sex, I'm 20 miles away from Belgium so... There must be a great lot of disappointment for foreign tourists going there, travelling thousand of miles to just sit somewhere around South Las Vegas Blvd, among Elvis clones and card tricks.
That's a reductive if not also profoundly ignorant description of Las Vegas. More power to you if you enjoy skanky Belgian prostitutes and online gambling, but you're missing out.
Also for your information: prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas. It is only legal in other counties of Nevada: source. In Belgium on the other hand it is legal.
I know its 2023 now but Las Vegas isn't just about sex and gambling. It mostly is but they also have some of the best food in the country. Its a melting pot of people from all over and they bring their food with them. All of my aunts and uncles live in Vegas and if your not going to the strip its actually so fun. Sure, the strip is still pretty cool with the buildings and lights and everything but the malls outside the main tourist attractions are even better. Same with the hotels. If you ever have a chance stay at Tahiti Village Resort. You can see the strip but its not on the strip and the whole pool is surrounded by tropical themed buildings with thousands of palm trees. Trust me it doesn't feel like Vegas one bit.
Major food destination? Shows? Atmosphere? Las Vegas was the first answer I entered. Never mind that I live two blocks from the strip, I knew it would be near the top.
I know all these people are bashing on it. I live in St. George, UT and make frequent stops in Vegas almost 1-4 times a month. Honestly everywhere but the strip is way more entertaining. Sure the strip has its time but like go see the hoover dam, downtown summerlin mall, Mt. Charleston, etc... also what you said about the food was spot on. You can literally eat anything from any country in Vegas.
Deserved or not, Las Vegas has established a reputation internationally. I would advise anyone who asks me to never visit the place... but I talk to people all the time overseas who wish to visit there. often they are people who have never been to the US before and can't name more than a handful of other cities but they are aware of Las Vegas from movies and TV shows etc.
I'd visit, if I was in the neighbourhood, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. There are so many other places I'd like to see that didn't make the list, starting with Chicago and New Orleans, which, in terms of History, food, architecture, and pretty much everything else, seem to far surpass Las Vegas in my mind. But hey, to each his own!
well we're not just talking visits, but international visits..
That's quite debatable, but there are many reasons foreigners would want to visit Las Vegas, possibly more than locals due to some kind of "myth" aura, and the many landmarks. That's what is dubious there, but one could say Vegas is some sort of landmark in itself, while (maybe apart from DC), not much does spring to the average tourist mind as a landmark in LA or NY (not counting Liberty Statue here). Not all people (quite the opposite) are as knowledgeable and think like JP quizzers
remember, Vegas is a huge destinations for Canadians... definitely drives up that number.. I wasnt really even thinking about Europe/Asia, I was thinking Canada.
Sadly, people place a higher priority on Disney World and busting at the slots rather than seeing one of the most beautiful cities in America, with lots of history about the very country they visit.
Yamaneko: it's true. Washington is a criminally underrated destination for tourists. But I'd wager that 50-70% of tourists are not especially saavy when it comes to picking out destinations and they just go to places that are famous for receiving tourists. Washington for some reason doesn't have a high profile, but there is so much to see and do there. Definitely a more worthwhile trip than going to Vegas. Though I'm not sure about Orlando, I actually like Disney World.
at Quizzer: ::shakes head and rolls eyes before looking away::
Don't forget the quiz was about international tourists not US citizens. I have been to DC and all though I agree that it was a nice city I would much rather visit Universal Studios and Disney in Orlando or go check out a show in Vegas or NYC as oppose to learning about US presidents and monuments. The stats clearly shows that the rest of the world agrees. Fun will always beat learning! After all which would you pick. Ottawa my nation's capital or Toronto / Montreal our largest cities? Ottawa is stunning but I think you'd pick the other two.
Ottawa is not really comparable to Washington. Come on. And there is a lot more to do in Washington than learn about presidents. But I would concede that Orlando and New York both make better tourist destinations. I would disagree that Vegas does. If I had to pick between visiting the MGM Grande or the Air & Space Museum and had never done either before, the 2nd option would be far more appealing.
Personally I thought Washington was incredible. I would rather go again than go to Vegas or Orlando. If you think all you can do is learn about presidents, you must not have gone to the Smithsonian. What about Arlington? The Pentagon? The Newseum? The war memorials?
My father's been dreaming of going to Boston, DC or Chicago for a long time. If I were to visit the country, New York and DC would be my top choices. Neither of us finds Las Vegas appealing, except perhaps for the weather. I imagine it to be a disillusioning and depressing place, at least for people who prefer museums over casinos and glitzy shows.
It's a pity that places like Yellowstone National Park attract not more than 0.7 mio international tourists a year... Besides, quite some visits to some of the above cities may be "collateral" as your airplane needs to land somewhere in order to reach the more beautiful places.
For me, it's not just that Washington has a lot of things to do, it's also that Washington is just a nice place. Other then the traffic (which is absolutely horrid and the biggest downside to DC), it's abundant in green spaces and is pretty pedestrian-friendly. There's also some really amazing architecture, and some of the areas are even quaint. It has all of the great aspects of big cities, such as tons of attractions, really good food, and easy access to any necessary amenities, while lacking the negative aspects, such as excessive busyness and poor aesthetics.
I'd rather go to DC than to Las Vegas or Orlando, but to each his own! DC is not just US history either: it has world-class museums, that even people who don't care about US history should be able to enjoy.
So having visited the US numerous times, I agree that DC is better to visit than Las Vegas or Orlando. However, DC is not a place you keep going back to, whereas many people do many repeat trips to Vegas or Orlando. I'd argue that the average Jetpunker's idea of good vacation is different than your average Brit or Canadian or whoever else is visiting the US.
That's definitely why, though the other theme parks built in the area have no doubt pushed it higher than it otherwise would have been if they only had Disney World.
it gets down to low 40s and high 30s (3-5 degrees c) in Florida every year, but only for like 3 days then it's back in the 50s and 60s (10-15 degrees c). Then it goes up and down all the time, but keep it mind, it's in the 80s in October (around 29 degrees c)
Obviously not including the daytime visits to Buffalo, Detroit and Seattle or those three should be here given the number of Canadians crossing to shop, see a hockey, baseball or football game, etc
Always thought of Hawaii as an American destination... thought international tourists would rather go to the Caribbean Islands or French Polynesia or the Maldives, etc.
Hawaii receives a lot of visitors from China and Japan and deservedly so. It's a beautiful place. Europeans are probably more likely to visit the Caribbean or Maldives because they are closer.
It's so weird how Chicago is the 2nd most visited place in the US at 57 million people per year but only around 1.7 million of those people are foreign tourists which actually means chicago is the most visited tourists city in terms of US tourist with around 3 million more tourists than NYC.
NYC and LA are so dominant in media - movies, television, news - people are drawn to the cities they have seen over and over. Chicago got some attention in the 1980s with a few movies and a couple TV shows, but Hollywood is where it is and NYC has been the most popular subject of destroy-the-city movies since King Kong. Vegas & Orlando exist only for tourism, effectively. Honolulu draws heavily from Japan, Miami from Latin America, and San Francisco from China.
It is funny how many Americans in the comments are shocked that Las Vegas and Orlando win over a city like Chicago, but when they come to Europe, they visit Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome and Paris and say they've seen Europe. These cities are Europe's tourist theme parks ;)
I've seen more of Europe than most Europeans have and am deeply saddened, for a number of different reasons, that you are equating Las Vegas with Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam. Both for the US and for Europe that's a sad comparison.
I know you have seen a lot of Europe since you mention it in many comments :p
I am just saying that Las Vegas and Disney Parks are some of the most famous attractions in the US. The same goes for the tourism hotspots in Europe. It saddens me a great deal that many tourists just visit those places instead of diving more into local culture. But I don't need to tell you that :)
I think the reason Vegas and Orlando outperform cities like Chicago and DC is that the former two claim almost the entire market of a certain kind of traveler. People going to travel for a big theme park vacation are very likely going to Orlando. People who want the gambling/over-the-top nightlife are very likely going to Vegas. But people who primarily want culture, history, arts, shopping, etc. are going to be split among New York, Chicago, DC, San Francisco, Boston, and New Orleans. Vegas and Orlando just don't have any meaningful competition for what they each offer. So they get everyone who wants that kind of trip.
Didn't even think of Las Vegas until the last minute, lol, AND I LIVE THERE!! haha
Speaking about the European visits, it always saddens me that few people include Berlin. It's arguably one of the most beautiful and friendliest cities on the continent. Lots of history, museums, theaters, monuments, and the very best ice cream parlors in the world!! (And, yes, it's my hometown.)
There is a lot do in Las Vegas, its a good place for young people to blow off steam but also a place to get into trouble. I've been there 5/x and that is all I need.
NYC is my favorite US city to visit. I've been to Paris, London, Rome, Dublin. All are amazing, Romans were the least friendly - Dubliners are the most friendly. I could easily live there.
That's quite debatable, but there are many reasons foreigners would want to visit Las Vegas, possibly more than locals due to some kind of "myth" aura, and the many landmarks. That's what is dubious there, but one could say Vegas is some sort of landmark in itself, while (maybe apart from DC), not much does spring to the average tourist mind as a landmark in LA or NY (not counting Liberty Statue here). Not all people (quite the opposite) are as knowledgeable and think like JP quizzers
at Quizzer: ::shakes head and rolls eyes before looking away::
I am just saying that Las Vegas and Disney Parks are some of the most famous attractions in the US. The same goes for the tourism hotspots in Europe. It saddens me a great deal that many tourists just visit those places instead of diving more into local culture. But I don't need to tell you that :)
Speaking about the European visits, it always saddens me that few people include Berlin. It's arguably one of the most beautiful and friendliest cities on the continent. Lots of history, museums, theaters, monuments, and the very best ice cream parlors in the world!! (And, yes, it's my hometown.)
NYC is my favorite US city to visit. I've been to Paris, London, Rome, Dublin. All are amazing, Romans were the least friendly - Dubliners are the most friendly. I could easily live there.