July 4th is on a Thursday this year. Expect big crowds in Las Vegas anyway

About 332,000 tourists are expected to visit Las Vegas and surrounding areas for the Independence Day holiday weekend, hospitality industry officials said.

The visitor estimation is 3.1 percent higher than the total during the five-day holiday weekend last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

This year’s four-day weekend is projected to generate $418.7 million in direct spending and $692.9 million in indirect spending, estimates show. Last year’s holiday brought about $372.7 million in direct spending to the market.

Visitors will have plenty to do while in town throughout the holiday week. Special events include a Blink-182 concert on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena; Dead and Company’s residency at the Sphere on Thursday through Saturday; Las Vegas Aces games with WNBA opponents the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever on Tuesday and Washington Mystics on Thursday; among other DJ sets, shows and residencies.

Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, said when Independence Day is on a weekday, it can create softer demand compared to when it falls on a weekend, Friday or Monday. But inflation and high-profile events throughout the week could contribute to higher spending in Las Vegas.

“Inflation has started to impact tourism spend, and Las Vegas has seen some of this,” Belarmino said in an email. “However, having the Tropicana off the market should help to elevate the citywide ADR (average daily rate) as that was more of a value property. We have also seen a shift since the pandemic in the overall profile of our visitors, and they are visitors who have a higher disposable income. Therefore, these seem to be reasonable numbers.”

Holiday room rates

Occupancy is estimated to reach 91.5 percent for the four-day weekend. But for last-minute travelers, there are still plenty of properties around the Las Vegas Valley offering hotel rooms — and some with discounts.

The average room reservation is $321.90 for stays from Thursday to Sunday, according to a review of 51 available properties listed on online travel agency Hotels.com and direct booking websites as of Friday morning. Those do not include taxes and resort fees and prices can still fluctuate based on demand.

Some of the most affordable properties on the Strip include Circus Circus with reservations beginning at $110, the Strat for $168, Excalibur for $215 and Treasure Island for $218. On the higher end, The Venetian’s rooms begin at $477, Wynn and Encore rooms are available beginning at $542, and several suites at Skylofts at MGM Grand are listed for $1,476 nightly.

Traveling to Vegas

The long weekend is expected to spur a big leap in summertime travel across the country, according to AAA. It projects nearly 71 million people will travel 50 or more miles away from home between Saturday and Sunday — a 5 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Las Vegas is among the top 10 domestic destinations for AAA travelers, according to its booking data.

Gas prices in the region are slightly lower than one year ago. In the Las Vegas metro, drivers can expect to pay about $3.97 per regular gallon — a roughly 4.3 percent from early July 2023, according to AAA.

Airlines expect high travel numbers, too. Harry Reid International Airport estimates 430,000 arriving passengers between Wednesday and Sunday, spokesperson Monika Bertaki said in an email. About 91,000 arrivals are expected Wednesday and 97,000 arrivals on Sunday. About 98,000 departures are estimated on Sunday.

Airport officials say parking garages will be in high demand for locals leaving the area. Terminal 1’s long-term and economy parking are at capacity as of Tuesday — it’s expected to ease up on Sunday. Terminal 3 could be near capacity by Wednesday through the weekend. Spots are expected to be available in the remote lot all week, but airport officials advise travelers to plan for additional time ride the shuttle to their terminal.

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.