When you think of the city of Las Vegas, invariably, an image of the Las Vegas Strip
comes to mind. It may be difficult to imagine this city without the famous Strip, lights, hotels, and casinos. Without a doubt, the expansion of the Las Vegas Strip transformed this city into a world reknown tourist attraction.
Early Las Vegas
In the 1950s, Las Vegas already had a foothold as a popular tourist destination. It was close enough to the atomic testing happening at the Nevada Test Site that mushroom clouds could be seen from some of the hotel rooms. Without understanding the damaging affect of radiation exposure, hotels capatilized on these nearby explosions by advertising the view of the clouds as a tourist attraction.
Modernization of Las Vegas
In the mid 1970’s, Las Vegas began undergoing changes to transform into a more modern city. Hotels were expanded and were associated with connections to organized crime. The growth of Las Vegas picked up and continued for several decades. The population also increased dramatically due to the success of business,development, and residential areas throughout the area. In turn, these changes brought about more positives for the city of Las Vegas in terms of increased tax revenues.
Overhaul of the Las Vegas Strip.
In the late 1980’s, a Wall Street devloper by the name of Stephen A. Wynn
began purchasing property and building some of the largest and extravagent resorts the United States had ever seen. In 1989, The Mirage was constructed and set the stage for even more luxurious hotels to be built in the next following years. Mr. Wynn paved the way for more “megaresorts” and growth along the Las Vegas Strip. In the two decades after building the The Mirage, other famous resorts such as The Excalibur, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, and the Wynn were opened. These premier locations became landmarks for tourists along the Las Vegas Strip and throughout the city.
This tremendous boom in construction also changed the dynamics of Las Vegas as a whole. It helped shift the area away from it’s roots in organized crime to a more commercial and famil friendly destination. Tourists visit the city to see shows and experience the resorts just as much as the casinos. The city itself is packed with activities as well as options for tours to the nearby Grand Canyon and other natural sites.
Summary
While the Las Vegas Strip has been around for decades, the changes that came about in the past 30 years have made the area into the prime destination that it is today. With an influx of Wall Street and commercialization, the Las Vegas Strip stands as one of the top international destinations in the United States.