LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, visited Allegiant Stadium today to discuss how the federal government can support Nevada’s travel and tourism industry, including her bipartisan legislative package to bolster the recovery of the travel and tourism economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Rosen was joined on the visit by Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Steve Hill, and Chief Operations and Analytics Officer for the Las Vegas Raiders Jeremy Aguero.
Last month, Allegiant Stadium was named the host site for Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. The NFL Pro Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium next month, and Las Vegas will also host this year’s NFL Draft.
“Tourism is the driving force of our state’s economy, and Allegiant Stadium is already proving to be a major driver for the tourism comeback in Southern Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “I was glad to visit Allegiant Stadium with leaders from the Raiders and LVCVA, as well as Commissioner Naft, to talk about the stadium’s success, the industry’s recovery efforts, and how the federal government can help restore travel and tourism and create more good-paying jobs. We’ve seen real progress for Nevada’s economy in recent months, and I’m committed to working in a bipartisan way with my Senate colleagues and local community and business leaders to make sure that growth continues in the years ahead.”
“Allegiant Stadium’s success is predicated in no small part on our ability to leverage Las Vegas’ tourism-based economy. The work that is being done by Senator Rosen and her colleagues is not only critical to our recovery but also to our long-term prosperity,” said Chief Operations and Analytics Officer for the Las Vegas Raiders Jeremy Aguero. “We are grateful for her leadership and our partnership with Nevada’s federal delegation, state and local leaders, the resort industry and critical agencies like the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.”
“We appreciate and thank Senator Rosen for her leadership working with her colleagues to sponsor and move this bill forward,” said Steve Hill, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Tourism is a big part of our economy and job creation not only in Southern Nevada but throughout the U.S. This effort is important and will help.”
“By the end of last year, Clark County’s Harry Reid International ranked as the third-most-recovered large airport in the country as measured by passenger volume. While visitation is up, Senator Rosen’s stewardship of the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act directly addresses a major hurdle in our recovery, international travel. I am grateful for the spotlight she has shone on the 350,000 Nevadans who work in the travel and tourism field, their families, and the ancillary businesses that support them,” said Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, who serves as a member of the board of directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee with unanimous support last month. This legislative package was introduced by Senator Rosen and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee Roger Wicker (R-MS) with a large bipartisan group of co-sponsors.
Tourism is one of Nevada’s key industries and employs nearly 350,000 Nevadans. Although Nevada’s economy is beginning to recover and experiencing strong growth, the state unemployment rate remains one of the worst in the country. In the Las Vegas area, visitor volume is still down 7.6% and hotel room occupancy is down 8.4% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Nationwide, unemployment in the leisure and hospitality industry, covering the bulk of tourism businesses and workers, is nearly twice the national average.
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