Outdoor tourism growing in Las Vegas area

Business can be slow for outdoor tour companies during the chilly winter months, but for some the cold weather offers an opportunity to try new things.

Forever Resorts, for example, launched a new service, the Colorado River Exploration Tour, in early December. The $199 journey includes a trip to Eldorado Canyon’s Techatticup Mine and a calm-water raft ride to Willow Beach Marina.

Lunch is included during a stop on the beach along the river. Once docked at Willow Beach, passengers will return to Las Vegas via Hoover Dam.

“We take them on a historic trip through time,” said Rod Taylor, regional vice president of Forever Resorts.

On the tour, attendees hear stories about wildlife, geology and exploration.

Taylor said winter is the perfect time of year to start a new tour, because tourism generally is slower, giving other operators and people likely to recommend it (read: concierges, bellmen) a chance to partake.

“When we get to a busier time of year, we’ll already have people on the ground selling for us,” Taylor said.

Forever Resorts has been working with the U.S. National Park Service for more than a year to create this trip.

“They have their own concerns about putting people in different parts of the lake and how they’re going to manage it,” Taylor said.

A survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP found that active members of the United States Tour Operators Association made up a $10.3 billion industry in 2011. The association’s members provided services to more than 6.1 million individual travelers.

For 2012, sales are projected to increase 7.5 percent to $11 billion, with a 5.6 percent increase in individual travelers, to 6.5 million.

The research was commissioned to measure the economic impact of travel packages sold by active association members.

The study found that the outlook for the tour industry is healthy, according to 88 percent of members who anticipate a growth in sales in 2013 over 2012.

Of that majority, a quarter forecast a “boom year” with sales increases in excess of 10 percent, with another quarter optimistic about sales increasing 7 percent to 9 percent.

More than a third remains cautiously optimistic that sales will increase 4 percent to 6 percent in 2013.

“As USTOA increases its advocacy role within the industry and in the nation’s capital, it is critical that we truly understand the economic footprint of our active members,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO. “This vital information on sales, jobs, the impact on our hotel and airline partners, the role of travel agents and the forecast for the future paints an accurate picture of how integral our members are to the health of the industry overall and strengthens our voice to all stakeholders.”

During the organization’s annual conference earlier this month, operators said that experiential travel continues to play a major role in programming. When asked to rank the programs they offer, 71 percent of members cited adventure, followed by culinary at 68 percent.

Overall, Taylor noted that 2012 was a good year for outdoor tourism operators in the Las Vegas Valley.

“One of the things everybody is looking for is new and innovative ways to explore the area outside of Las Vegas. … The tour operations have grown substantially,” Taylor said.

And, he said, people like the word “new,” so offering new tours and refreshing product offerings is essential to capturing customers.

Rick Wyatt, lead guide for American Adventure Tours, said their new side-by-side RVR tour helped boost sales sales considerably. Sales are up 20 percent this year.

“I think it’s a good collective with the hotels doing their part, new tours that the remaining companies have added and marketing,” Wyatt said.

The Las Vegas industry consists of a couple of hundred operators of all sizes, shapes and forms.

“It’s very competitive because we’re all looking for those people who want to get outside,” Taylor said.

Many operators collaborate on packages. For example, a houseboat company might pair with a helicopter business to create one product.

“If you have a tour that lasts all day, with multiple facets, we’re hoping this will entice people that want to see multiple things,” Taylor said.

And perhaps to increase visitation to Lake Mead, which was down 1.5 percent through October.

“There’s been a little bit of a decline as far as visits,” Taylor said. “Tours are down a touch as well. Boat rentals are up, though, lakewide.”

Depending on the location, watercraft rentals are up 3 percent to 4 percent.

Open since 2006, Evolution Expeditions Kayaking has experienced ups and downs the past few years.

“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster ride with the economy,” said owner Dan Cameron.

In 2011, though, sales looked promising. In 2012, Cameron said his company suffered a “little drawback” – sales are down 18 percent – which he attributed to the presidential election. He said he’s hopeful for 2013, because he’s seen some positive indicators recently.

Cameron also is looking to expand his offerings, now limited to kayaking, to include motorboats by May.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at
lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588.