Detailed housekeeping task-lists. Deliberately only partially-full casinos. Reservations-only dining. No shows, no nightclubs, no sporting events.
These are only some of the “new normal” that tourists can expect when Las Vegas reopens for traffic the first week in June.
Simply said, Vegas will re-open as of June 4, but it won’t look like the destination we know and love.
Like much of the United States, Las Vegas has effectively been shut down to visitors since mid-March, an effort on the part of casino’s and local officials to slow the spread of Covid-19.
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Now, after 70+ days of locked resorts, shuttered restaurants and a deserted Las Vegas Boulevard, Sin City wants to push into sin again — at least, as much debauchery as someone can enjoy while wearing a face mask, sanitizing their hands often and maintaining six feet distance from everyone else.
A step toward “New Normal”
On Tuesday May 26, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak stated local casinos were set to welcome visitors back safely.
“We’re welcoming visitors back, but we’re going to take every precaution possible,”
he said.
Yes, Vegas will look different.
A new tv advertising campaign alerts visitors that things may be unfamiliar in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future:
“The world has changed, and Vegas is changing with it,” the ad says.
That ad was produced by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the organization charged with marketing Southern Nevada and the same group that put together the famous “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” campaign.
CEO Steve Hill said the idea behind the new ad is to reassure visitors that while Las Vegas might not look familiar, it’s still the same place.
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“People think of Las Vegas as an escape, and it can still be an escape from what everyone has had to go through over the last two-and-a-half or three months,” said Hill. “Certain aspects of [Las Vegas] won’t necessarily be what you’re used to, but you’ll absolutely be able to come and have a great time.”
Here’s a closer look at what a “New Normal” Vegas vacation might look like:
Hotels restart slowly
Easily, the most important part of re-opening Las Vegas is reopening the hotels — people who are visiting from outside the area need places to stay.
There are roughly 150,000 hotel rooms around Las Vegas; and as of June 4, only a fraction of these will open.
The Las Vegas Strip
The 4-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that runs from the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign to Sahara Avenue. Casinos opening June 4 will include New York-New York Hotel & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, the Flamingo Las Vegas, the Venetian and Wynn Las Vegas.
Off-Strip
Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming resorts are also opening June 4. Derek Stevens, who owns both The D Las Vegas and the Golden Gate Casino downtown is offering 1,000 free one-way airplane tickets to Las Vegas for visitors.
(Good news: Over 2,000 free tickets were booked almost immediately)
“We knew there was a high demand for Las Vegas, and to see these flights book as quickly as they did is overwhelming and exciting,” said Stevens in a press release. “Whether people decide to visit my casinos or explore other parts of the city, this is a strong indicator of how Las Vegas can quickly be restored to its former glory.”
