ZZZ - GMG - VEGAS INC 2011-2014

May 23, 2011

VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more

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OPINIONS: EVERYONE’S GOT ONE THE R.V. This ’n That T by Richard N. Velotta oday, I’m “emptying my notebook” of some recent tourism stories. The makeup of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will undergo a big change in July, thanks primarily to term limits and new mayors and councilmen taking office next month. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who has led the LVCVA board of directors for most of the 12 years he has been in office, is expected to leave the board after its meeting in June. I say “expected to” because it’s possible for him to be appointed by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce or the Nevada Resort Association, which also appoint some members. In addition to Goodman’s departure, Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck, who lost a primary election, will depart, and Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese, North Las Vegas Councilman William Robinson and Henderson Councilman Steven Kirk— all mayors pro tempore of their councils—have been term-limited out. Two appointees from the Nevada Resort Association, Station Casinos Executive Vice President Scott Nielson and Mandalay Bay President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Bowling, end their terms in June, but can be reappointed. Kristin McMillan, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO, took office in May, completing the term of former chamber leader Matt Crosson, who died in December. That fill-in term ends in June, but McMillan will be reappointed. It’s a little unusual for what potentially is a majority of seats on the 14-member board opening at the same time. There’s been no word on who will fill the vacancies from the public sector. Will Carolyn Goodman or Chris Giunchigliani take board seats if elected mayor of Las Vegas? How about Shari Buck, mayor of North | 23 MAY 2011 | Las Vegas? Stay tuned. One of the criticisms Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air often gets is that it moves too quickly to kill one of its routes. Although it may be a sound business practice, it’s also a big inconvenience for customers with tickets. But one of the reasons Allegiant runs in the black is because it’s willing to do away with flights that aren’t performing the way management expects. The reasoning is that it’s better to take a brief PR hit than to lose money on a route that is bound to fail. Many airlines will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars before reacting, but not Allegiant. Allegiant is one of the few airlines I’ve covered that canceled service on a route before its inaugural flight because advance bookings weren’t tracking as well as projected. I raise this because Allegiant announced recently that it will end service between Las Vegas Allegiant runs in the black because it’s willing to do away with flights that aren’t performing the way management expects. and Bakersfield, CA. The last flight will be June 26, and customers with tickets beyond that date will be contacted and issued refunds. Allegiant launched the route in November. I was among skeptics who wondered whether Bakersfield would fly as an Allegiant destination, because it’s just around four hours away by car. Obviously, it’s a route that didn’t work. Seasonal nonstop flights between Paris and Las Vegas return May 26 when XL Airways starts twice- weekly service between McCarran and Charles de Gaulle International Airport. XL, a small operator that flies scheduled charter flights to 52 destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Caribbean on its six-jet fleet, uses a twin-engine A330 wide-body on the Las Vegas route. Last year, XL flew nearly 18,000 passengers to Las Vegas from Paris. California will close 70 of its 278 state parks in a cost- cutting move. The closures take effect in September and are expected to save $22 million. Parks officials were strategic in preparing their closure list, noting that at least 92 percent of the state’s park attendance and 94 percent of revenue would be preserved. The obvious question for Nevadans: Will any of the Silver State’s 25 state parks suffer a similar fate? Nevada’s parks have faced seasonal closures in the past, but there are no plans to close any. In 2007, Floyd Lamb State Park in northwest Las Vegas was transferred to the city. Last week’s World Travel and Tourism Summit was huge for Las Vegas. Next week, I’ll wrap up how some of our local tourism leaders fared on the big stage. 31 LVCVA turnover, Allegiant’s moves, California parks, Paris and more. LEILA NAVIDI

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