It’s no secret that Las Vegas tourism has suffered a great deal since the financial meltdown back in 2008. Recession fears, high unemployment rates, and uncertainty don’t create the ideal situation for gambling.

However, Las Vegas tourism has bounced back over the past year or so. Figures released today from July show that Vegas has seen an increase in the number of visitors for 17 straight months now.

Compared to July 2010, the number of visitors rose over four percent from 3.3 million to nearly 3.5 million, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported. Room rates have steadily risen over the same time period.

There was nearly a one percent increase in car traffic coming from Arizona Southern California in July. Many more folks took advantage of cheap flights to Las Vegas. Traffic at McCarren International Airport rose nearly five percent from a year earlier.

It wasn’t all good news for Sin City today, however. Attendance at Las Vegas conferences dropped nearly 18 percent year-over-year. Large conferences have been a major source of revenue for Las Vegas in recent years.

Source: UPI