Las Vegas new city of love for Canadians

Expedia.ca is also hosting a “Sin City Sprint” Facebook contest where six teams of two will participate in an exciting sprint covering some of Las Vegas’ famous landmarks for a chance to win a grand prize stay in Las Vegas. For more information on the 2013 Vegas Sale, visit www.expedia.ca/vegas.

Canadians visiting Las Vegas for romantic getaways

A new survey shows Canadians are more likely to visit Las Vegas for a romantic getaway with a loved one, rather than for Hangover-type debauchery.

1 in 4 Canadians go to Vegas for romance, according to a new survey.

One in four Canadian respondents to a recent Expedia.ca survey say a romantic getaway with their partner is the main reason they would go to Las Vegas, narrowly edging out other options such as celebrating a bachelor or bachelorette part, recognizing a milestone or just to party with friends and gamble all their money away.

“Las Vegas is a destination that offers a variety of activities and attractions beyond casinos and The Strip,” said Sean Shannon, managing director of Expedia Canada.

“The fact that respondents consider Las Vegas a romantic vacation destination reflects the recognition that there are now so many things to do in Las Vegas for couples who want to spend some fun, quality time together.”

For Las Vegas-bound couples who may not want to take a chance at love at the city’s 129 casinos, the city offers the opportunity to partake in so many other bucket-list activities that only Sin City can offer, says Expedia.ca. From swimming with the sharks at Mandalay Bay to an acrobatic flying experience with Sky Combat Ace and perhaps if things go well, even tying the knot at the Graceland Wedding Chapel.

Plenty of famous romantic landmarks in Las Vegas.

Unique attractions and experiences are key to enjoying Vegas which is particularly important since two-thirds of those surveyed said that having a variety of activities available when they’re on vacation is somewhat or very important to them.

Canadians in Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary lead the charge, booking the most outbound flights, according to the survey. Over the last five years, Canadians have booked nearly 1.8 million room nights in the city that never sleeps via Expedia.ca, preferring hotels with an average 4-rating and staying an average of 3.7 days.

“Vegas itself is fun for about a day or so, I like it for shopping, as neither of us drink or gamble,” said Victoria resident Alice Mary who has visited the city with her partner. “You can’t beat Vegas for people watching,and you will be given multitudes of slips of paper with photos of escorts and their numbers on them, even if you are a couple holding hands!”

Calgarian Tammy Johnston says Las Vegas has something for everyone.

“I love Vegas and I don’t drink, smoke, or gamble,” she said. “I love the fact that you can go anywhere and see some amazing sites and free entertainment. Vegas has amazing shows, great restaurants, and the hotels / resorts are out of this world. Yes, it is garish and I wouldn’t want to live there, but I love visiting.”

Going to Las Vegas with friends or to celebrate milestones is still popular with many.

“I went to Vegas in January to celebrate my daughter’s 21st,” said Wanda Murch. “I’ve been with the girls because there’s so much to do; planning is easy and there’s something for everyone. It’s easy.”

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association, almost two million Canadians visit Las Vegas each year, representing the largest share of tourists from outside the U.S. In 2012, Canadians represented the largest international market for Las Vegas, accounting for almost 40 per cent of all international visitors.

The Expedia.ca survey found that more than half (58 per cent) of respondents said they want to visit Las Vegas, with 23 per cent having been before and 35 per cent interested in going for the first time. Once there, Canadians have a plethora of ‘made-in-Canada’ talent to enjoy — from multiple Cirque du Soleil shows to superstars Shania Twain and Celine Dion. Despite the success of both chanteuses, respondents said if they found themselves in Las Vegas, most would prefer to see a Cirque du Soleil show (43 per cent), while almost one in five would prefer to take in a Shania Twain (20 per cent) or Celine Dion (19 per cent) performance.

“Whether it’s to see incredible home-grown entertainment or to enjoy the tremendous range of activities Las Vegas offers, Canadians have consistently made it a top destination for travel outside of the country,” said Shannon. “For those who haven’t ever considered Vegas as a potential vacation destination, I urge them to try their luck and take a chance on the city by discovering what it has to offer. I guarantee they’ll leave feeling like a winner.”

Expedia.ca is also hosting a “Sin City Sprint” Facebook contest where six teams of two will participate in an exciting sprint covering some of Las Vegas’ famous landmarks for a chance to win a grand prize stay in Las Vegas with flights courtesy of Air Canada and an extended stay at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The grand prize will also include spending money guaranteed to increase the winners’ odds for even more all-in Vegas fun. For more information on the 2013 Vegas Sale, visit www.expedia.ca/vegas.

The results of the survey are taken from “Expedica.ca Vegas” survey using Google Consumer Surveys between September 18 and 22, 2013. Each question sampled at least 1,000 unique, randomly sampled internet users across the Google Consumer Surveys publisher network. The average margin of error is +/- 4%.