LAS VEGAS -- Leaders in the travel and tourism industry are in Las Vegas to talk about boosting tourism in southern Nevada and the entire country.
These leaders were throwing out ideas, not only among each other, but to Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services Nicole Lamb-Hale. She carries a big title, but what's bigger is the information and ideas she takes back to Washington D.C. from Las Vegas. That could mean more tourists to the city.
The approach is reach out to international tourists and encourage them to visit. One idea is making travel to the United States easier, starting with ports of entries by ground or air.
"One of the things that Homeland Security is working on is the notion of a global entry system. How can we make it easier for folks to come to Las Vegas," she said.
Lamb-Hale says it's pretty simple -- luring international tourists to Las Vegas, or any other place in America, starts with making the experience easy.
The Las Vegas Strip is a key attraction to the city, and those who depend on tourist, like Cid Vegas, can't agree more. He sells tours and entertainment packages to the thousands who visit. But those numbers have dropped.
He's glad national leaders are in town to hopefully shake things up.
"Be like McDonalds -- it never lets you forget who they are. We can not let anybody forget this is Vegas. This is the funnest place to be. This is where things happen. You are going to have fun when you get here and be entertained and never forget us," he said.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says 14-percent of visitors are international. The goal is to get that to 20-percent in the next few years.
Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA, is also a board member of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. He's among the many who says traveling in and out of the U.S. has to be easier in order to get more dollars to Las Vegas and the county.
