Las Vegas counting on holiday travelers

By Lisa Snedeker
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Tourism officials expected more than one-quarter million people to disregard fears of a possible terrorist attack and a lagging economy to visit Las Vegas this weekend.

Post-Sept. 11 concerns didn't seem to be keeping Americans home.

Some 36.7 million people were expected to travel nationwide over the four-day period from the Fourth of July through today, up slightly from the 36.4 million people estimated to have taken trips last year, AAA reported. Most, or 36.4 million, traveled by car. The rest traveled by air, train or bus.

About 260,000 visitors were expected on the Las Vegas Strip — a 4 percent increase over last year's holiday, said Kevin Bagger, senior researcher for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

"We're attributing the increase to the Fourth being on a Thursday this year compared with a Wednesday last year," he said.

McCarran International Airport, which year-over-year is experiencing about a 7 percent decrease in passenger counts, expected about 400,000 people to travel through between Thursday and today, spokeswoman Debbie Millett said.

Last Independence Day, Las Vegas visitors had an estimated $167.9 million economic impact in nongambling revenue. Officials were reluctant to speculate on this year's economic impact because of visitors' volatile spending patterns since Sept. 11.