United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Atlantic City vs. Vegas: betting on the Boardwalk?
Buoyed by multi-million dollar projects, Atlantic City is repeatedly rolling the dice to win over Las Vegas.
“The biggest goal Atlantic City can achieve is overcoming what has been a negative stigma on our reputation as being a one-type market: the buffet customers coming on a bus trip,” Larry Mullin, CEO of the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, told MCNBS.com.
What the two areas have in common is the opening of the $1.1 billion Borgata in July of 2003 altered the landscape in Atlantic City, just as the $650 million Mirage did when it opened in Vegas in 1989.
In Vegas, with the opening of the Mirage, the city began to shed its image as a no-frills wedding Mecca. Non-gamblers began to come for the shows and the restaurants.
Celebrity chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and trendy nightclubs began to attract a younger clientele. That is the same demographic that Atlantic City is increasingly trying to attract as it goes beyond its image as a quick weekend place to gamble.
The Borgata was the first new property to open in 13 years. And it was against tradition because it was not on the Boardwalk. But it attracted retail shops, brand-name restaurants and spas.
That’s been ongoing in recent years.
To cite just one example: Gordon Group Holdings this summer is opening The Pier at Caesars, which includes 15 restaurants and 90 stores.
The new development has many of the same luxury tenants that are today at the forum shops in Las Vegas.
Vegas has been undergoing a switch from a reliance on gaming revenues to non-gaming. Fifteen years ago, 72% of its income came from gaming but today, less than half, or 46%, is gaming-related.
Atlantic City still has a long ways to go.
Estimates are that Vegas vacations take months of planning with thousands of dollars spent. Atlantic City for most is still a quick weekend trip for small time wagering.
Most visitors to Atlantic City stay less than 24 hours, while the average visitor to Vegas stays more than four nights.
The Las Vegas strip still has three times the amount of casinos found in Atlantic City, but the New Jersey city that only opened its first casino as part of a revitalization effort in 1978 has yet to be counted out.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Sustainable Tourism: Don Welsh on Community Values and Global Collaboration
Jane Cunningham: Enhancing European Engagement in Tourism
Kristin Dunne: Navigating Destination Strategy
Revolutionizing Mobile Connectivity: Boris Bijlstra on HUBBY eSIM
Capturing Glasgow’s Vibrancy: An Interview with Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
EU airports bring back 100ml liquid rule
British Airways passengers endure 11-hour 'flight to nowhere'
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’
Gatwick braces for strike