Meet The Winners: Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority

During Routes World 2025, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority was crowned the winner of the Destination Category at the Routes Awards having been credited for their outstanding partnerships in air service development.

Las Vegas set a new annual tourism record in 2024, welcoming more than 46 million visitors. The momentum has continued with annual arrivals reaching a milestone of 35.5 million inbound seats for the fiscal year ending June 2025.

A partnership between the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) has helped drive the city’s air service expansion. The airport handled a record 58.4 million passengers in 2024 and now connects to 174 nonstop destinations, ranking as the world’s fifth-busiest airport by aircraft movements.

In 2024, Las Vegas welcomed the launch of Aer Lingus’ three-times-weekly service to Dublin, filling its largest unserved European market. The city also gained its first daily flights from Asia, with Korean Air increasing Seoul service in October.

LAS has also seen robust domestic expansion, adding five new routes over the past year and more than 1 million annual seats. Growth is set to continue, with Frontier Airlines launching service to Burbank in December, becoming the fourth carrier on the route. Southwest Airlines plans to add new daily flights to Santa Rosa in April 2026 and Anchorage in May 2026.

Additionally, Breeze Airways plans to launch three new routes from Las Vegas in 2026, adding service to New Orleans, Redmond, and Provo, while JetBlue Airways will begin flights to Newark in January.

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With more than half of Las Vegas visitors arriving by air, air service development remains central to the city’s economic growth strategy. The LVCVA’s approach combines route expansion with long-term partnerships, supported by strong marketing campaigns, sales initiatives, and proactive public relations that sustain travel demand year-round.

“Las Vegas is a unique city which is built and founded on hospitality. We are so different and unique with many different opportunities that are readily accessible to everyone from all parts of the world. The more we can communicate that value proposition, the more people want to come to Las Vegas” said Cheryl Smith, director at LVCVA, during Routes World 2025.

Reflecting on Las Vegas’ recognition at the Routes Awards, LVCVA Vice President of Air Service Development Chris Jones highlighted the role of collaboration in the city’s success.

“Winning the Routes Award for best destination is a proud moment for Las Vegas. Building good relationships with our airline partners and having strong industry partners makes for a winning combination. Together, we’re able to build an ecosystem of hospitality and travel that is successful on all fronts,” Smith said.

“I want to personally thank everyone at Routes, all our airline partners and the airline judges that were involved in nominating, shortlisting, and selecting Las Vegas for the award. It’s a true testament to the work that not only our air service development team does, but our partnership with Harry Reid International Airport, and all our hotel and industry partners in Las Vegas.”

Despite the challenges posed by Typhoon Ragasa in Hong Kong, Smith praised both the local community and the Routes organizing team for ensuring another successful event. “We’ve been able to be productive and pivot in a way that saw everyone in this industry come together, with the leadership of the Routes team, to deliver on the expectation and promise of what the event delivers every year,” he said.

LVCVA also received the Destination award during Routes Americas 2025, showcasing how its efforts are highly recognized within its region and across the globe.