LAS VEGAS -- You may think of Las Vegas as the place to go for a quickie wedding by an Elvis impersonator, but according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), its an excellent choice for honeymooners who seek an action-packed affair to remember.
With some 128,000 marriage licenses issued in 2004 by Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, officials say it stands to reason that many couples choose to stay on after their weddings for a honeymoon, while others fly in after they tie the knot for a Vegas-style honeymoon.
According to an LVCVA spokeswoman, Las Vegas routinely ranks at the top of various bridal publication lists as a superlative honeymoon destination.
Most recently, the city ranked No. 9 among the top 10 honeymoon destinations worldwide in Brides magazines annual survey of retailers.
The data on honeymooners is admittedly slim, according to LVCVA officials.
In 2004, approximately 3% of Las Vegas visitors attributed their stay to attending or being in a wedding, the LVCVA spokeswoman said, but specific breakout figures for honeymooners just dont exist.
The LVCVA doesnt have a targeted honeymoon marketing program per se, but we know the amenities that attract all visitors here -- luxury resorts, fine dining, pleasant weather, exciting nightlife and entertainment, golf, spas, shopping -- are the same things that attract honeymooners and couples looking for a destination wedding or honeymoon location.
Las Vegas appeal as a romantic destination figures largely in a broad-based advertising campaign by the Visitors Authority. It targets a wide range of lifestyle magazines, the spokeswoman said, appearing in publications like People and Conde Nast Traveler.
Weddings and bachelor parties have figured into three of our What Happens Here, Stays Here television spots, she said.
The spokeswoman added that the destination works to get word out to editors and writers about Las Vegas appeal as a wedding destination.
Public relations efforts specifically center on Valentines Day, which is an opportune time to highlight Las Vegas romantic appeal, she said.
You can go on the perfect date here 100 times over, from a trip up the Eiffel Tower to a gondola ride at the Venetian, from a romantic dinner at a restaurant high above the Strip with a spectacular view to a sunrise helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon for a champagne breakfast.
Hoteliers also push their own product to potential honeymooners by attending bridal trade shows and consumer travel shows.
While theres no major one-stop shop within Vegas for honeymooners in search of a Vegas experience, Las Vegas hotel properties and wedding chapels do offer myriad wedding plans.
Specific honeymoon packages arent as evident, she said, adding that hoteliers thinking may be that youre in Las Vegas, the honeymoon will take care of itself.
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