One Year Later: Examining Las Vegas Visitors’ Perceptions Post October 1 Shooting

Session Title

Mid-morning Break and Poster Sessions: FEATURED POSTERS

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

29-5-2019 10:25 AM

End Date

29-5-2019 11:00 AM

Disciplines

Gaming and Casino Operations Management | Tourism and Travel

Abstract

Introduction & Statement of Problem

Most Las Vegas resorts and hotels are designed to purposefully offer a welcoming atmosphere with plenty of publicly accessible spaces and venues. However, the management and ownership of these properties, just like any other lodging establishment, are obligated with the duty to maintain a safe and secure environment for the guests and visiting patrons despite the large volumes of foot traffic on a daily basis. Given the proposed security measures and technology supported enhancements post One October tragedy, resort operators and management must systematically address safety and security concerns while educating the public and guests about the essentiality of all the proposed safety measures. Using a nation-wide survey, the study attempts to explore the scope and magnitude of safety as well as inconvenience concerns of visitors to Las Vegas in the aftermath of One October. The dependent variables for this study are the likelihood of future travel to (or avoidance of) Las Vegas and the level of safety-policy related inconveniences an individual tolerates during their hotel stay, and the independent variables include types of risk associated with traveling to Las Vegas and overall perceptions of safety when visiting Las Vegas.

Potential implications

The findings of this study intend to document safety concerns of potential visitors to Las Vegas one year after the tragic event. The study offers an outline of existing safety concerns of visitors that may affect their travel decisions to Las Vegas, and identify the perceptions and acceptability of new security enhancements and procedures. Practical recommendations will be discussed to assist the industry in formulating and implementing safety policies and practices.

Keywords

Casino and resort safety, Hotel security, Visitor risk perception

Author Bios

Dr. Billy Bai is Professor and Associate Dean of Research and International Programs in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. His current research interests focus on hospitality and tourism marketing with an emphasis on social media, customer behavior and loyalty, and destination marketing

Dr. Mehmet Erdem is an Associate Professor at UNLV. Mehmet’s research, teaching, and consulting interests focus on the use and impact of technology in hospitality operations as well as the assessment of training and decision support systems. Mehmet has earned his Ph.D. in Hotel Administration at UNLV. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Hotel Management from Purdue University. He has over 25 years of hospitality operations, consulting and teaching experience.

Saeed Hasanzadeh is a Doctoral Student in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. His current research interests focus on Hospitality and tourism marketing as well as use and impact of technology in hospitality and tourism. He has earned his Master of Science degree in Tourism Management from Allameh Tabataba’i University in Iran.

Share

COinS
 
May 29th, 10:25 AM May 29th, 11:00 AM

One Year Later: Examining Las Vegas Visitors’ Perceptions Post October 1 Shooting

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Introduction & Statement of Problem

Most Las Vegas resorts and hotels are designed to purposefully offer a welcoming atmosphere with plenty of publicly accessible spaces and venues. However, the management and ownership of these properties, just like any other lodging establishment, are obligated with the duty to maintain a safe and secure environment for the guests and visiting patrons despite the large volumes of foot traffic on a daily basis. Given the proposed security measures and technology supported enhancements post One October tragedy, resort operators and management must systematically address safety and security concerns while educating the public and guests about the essentiality of all the proposed safety measures. Using a nation-wide survey, the study attempts to explore the scope and magnitude of safety as well as inconvenience concerns of visitors to Las Vegas in the aftermath of One October. The dependent variables for this study are the likelihood of future travel to (or avoidance of) Las Vegas and the level of safety-policy related inconveniences an individual tolerates during their hotel stay, and the independent variables include types of risk associated with traveling to Las Vegas and overall perceptions of safety when visiting Las Vegas.

Potential implications

The findings of this study intend to document safety concerns of potential visitors to Las Vegas one year after the tragic event. The study offers an outline of existing safety concerns of visitors that may affect their travel decisions to Las Vegas, and identify the perceptions and acceptability of new security enhancements and procedures. Practical recommendations will be discussed to assist the industry in formulating and implementing safety policies and practices.