Las Vegas Visitor Age Drops to 43 as Gen Z, Millennials Transform Entertainment Scene

Las Vegas is currently undergoing a generational shift resulting from new tourism numbers that show a transformation in visitors. Downtown Las Vegas is emerging as attractive to Gen Z tourists for a number of reasons, including the basics of entertainment that don't break the bank, authentic and unique dining experiences, and truly local nightlife. 

Recent numbers from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) show that the average age of tourists coming to Las Vegas decreased to 43.6 in 2024, which shows millennials account for almost half of the visitation, and Gen Z is quickly catching up, which means a shift in marketing and entertainment options must take place.

Derek Stevens, a prominent casino owner in Downtown Las Vegas, notes the shift from gambling as the primary attraction to experiential entertainment: “From a customer service perspective, the importance of experience has become far more — far more — important than what it used to be,” Stevens says. “When I started coming to Vegas, the main attraction was gambling. Now, the primary reason to take a trip is either for business or for some experiential entertainment.”

The transition is also supported by long-term data collection. “Because it's such a long-standing study, it gives us this unique ability to be able to understand how the market has gone through changes over the decades,” says Amanda Belarmino Wik, assistant professor at UNLV. “We are just constantly reinventing and reimagining who we are, what we are, and the experiences we provide our visitor base.”

Over the past decade, Las Vegas has expanded its luxury offerings to meet changing expectations. “In the couple of years post-COVID, you're seeing higher spend in terms of people just letting loose and not being as budget-conscious as maybe they once had been. Historically, it's been known as a really great value escape, but over the past decade or so, we've really been building on the luxury offerings,” Wik says.

Even with the growing luxury market, fewer visitors came in early 2025 signalling that there was still a need for an addition of budget options, as Gen Z has become more price conscious as the continued economic effects are still being felt.