I took a millennial vacation to Vegas this February. It wasn't a great vacation, but it was a pretty good vacation, and the weather was better than where I was coming from. There is a lot of spectacle to see free of charge (fountains, mountains, the sphere, the strip, Fremont St) and a lot to see that is pay-to-play (museums, performances, etc).

Vegas was a decent destination for food and activities (Tacotarian was so good). I was pleasantly surprised because I've been passing through the town for the better part of 30 years, and the 2025 version was the most holistic "maybe actually a city" version of Vegas I've seen. As EnsignRedshirt said, prices are fucking stupid now. Flights and hotels, historically very cheap purchases, are no longer so cheap you can't say no. I think I paid $300/night to stay at the "second nicest hotel in downtown".

I saw a recent tiktok where a resident was saying the major factor contributing to the decline is that retirees are the bread and butter of Vegas, and as their material conditions get worse, that group needs to cut costs, and their "low cost gambling vacation" is the first to go.

So, with the cheap attractions not so cheap and the main customer base turning away, Vegas needs to reinvent itself