Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the dramatic transformation of Las Vegas from a local watering hole to a world renowned entertainment city, and to offer predictions of what this ever-changing city might become in the future. Design/methodology/approach A series of turning points in Las Vegas’ history are presented in a chronological manner, highlighting how external forces have played a role in shaping the city into what it is today. These external forces are then used as the underlying reasoning for a series of scenarios, signposts informing predictions detailing what might happen to Las Vegas in the future. Findings The development of Las Vegas has been influenced by a wide range of external factors, from geology, government, organized crime, business visionaries, large corporations and the economy. The continued influence of these factors could lead to drastically divergent outcomes from the loss of the city to a new golden age. Originality/value This paper identifies turning points that have helped to shape the development of Las Vegas, and in doing so encourages researchers to consider future scenarios grounded in the underlying dynamics of the turning points.
Highlights
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the dramatic transformation of Las Vegas from a local watering hole to a world renowned entertainment city, and to offer predictions of what this ever-changing city might become in the future
Las Vegas’s transformation from local watering hole to world renowned fame can be attributed to a series of turning points in its history, with influencers ranging from geology, government, organized crime, entertainers, the economy, business visionaries and large corporations
Tourism researchers have examined turning points, times of decisive change, to illustrate how history can help shape the future (Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie, 2017). These turning points help provide an understanding of the unpredictable growth of Las Vegas, one in which external forces have played a monumental role in the development of the city
Summary
In the music video Bruno Mars is living the dream that many imagine when they think of Las Vegas, or as it unofficially known as, “Sin City” where “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” It is a dream of unbridled opulence and excess, an invitation to a never-ending party, a luxurious experience for those consumers with increased wealth (Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie, 2018). Tourism researchers have examined turning points, times of decisive change, to illustrate how history can help shape the future (Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie, 2017) These turning points help provide an understanding of the unpredictable growth of Las Vegas, one in which external forces have played a monumental role in the development of the city. It would be these fresh water springs that would put give Las Vegas its name and put it on the map – a valley of meadows and springs in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a crucial resting stop for those travelers heading out West to California
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