Tourism Down In Aftermath Of Tragedy
It was a surreal scene in Las Vegas over the weekend, one week after a shooter killed 58 people and wounded more than 500.
The situation around Mandalay Bay was eerily quiet. The tram that is normally packed was empty. There were people gambling inside but without the usual noise and lively buzz that fills up casinos.
At the scene of the shooting, there were crosses on the ground to recognize and honor the victims. The stage from the Route 91 Harvest Festival remains in place. An area remains blocked off near the concert venue as visitors in Las Vegas are going over to see the see the location. The road, the Strip, is open to traffic.
The window on the 32nd floor the shooter used to carry out his evil act has been boarded up and painted gold to try and match the color of the other windows, but it still stands out and is easily visible from the street.
Overall, the crowds are down – at least for the moment – in Vegas. People have cancelled travel plans for a pair of conventions schedule for this week. And normally slammed with visitors on weekends, it was noticeably quieter, one regular Vegas veteran observed and reported to PubClub.com.
“Saturday was by far the quietest I’ve ever seen it since I’ve been coming to Vegas,” he said. “From the airport to the hotel there was literally no traffic. I pulled up to the MGM Grand, the world’s largest hotel with more than 5,000 rooms and there was minimal valet activity.
“The lobby was also very quiet and and security was very noticeable throughout the hotel.
“I walked down to Mandalay Bay and there were crosses on the ground. At the site, it was an unreal feeling.”
Yet at the same time, people also enjoyed being in Vegas because, well, it’s Vegas. They went to bars. They partied. At one point, an impromptu dance party broke out in one of the casino hallways at the MGM among about a dozen people.
“I talked with a quite a few people and while they were sad at what happened, were not letting any terrorist or lunatic get in their way of their partying and having a good time,” our source said.
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