Latest news with #JohnFischer
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Las Vegas may still dazzle, but its sparkle is coming at a steeper price
Las Vegas — The "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign is usually the first stop for millions of tourists. But the line to snap a photo is noticeably shorter this spring as inflation, which has brought on higher prices for visitors, has hit "Sin City" hard. "We were here last year, almost exactly the same time," John Fischer, who is visiting from the United Kingdom, told CBS News. "And it was probably 20% more [expensive] this year." U.K. tourist Stuart Woodfall said he was surprised to pay $9 for a coffee. "In the U.K., we pay 4 pounds, 5 pounds for a coffee? So yeah, crazy," Woodfall said. Those higher prices haven't stopped convention traffic, but casual trips are down. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said 3.39 million people visited in March, down 7.8% from the same time last year. April saw a 5.1% drop in visitors from April 2024. Hotel occupancy also slipped, as the average nightly rate on the Las Vegas Strip reached $203 in April, the LVCVA said, up from $194 at the same time last year. The hotel occupancy rate rate in April was 84.5%, down slightly from 85.5% in April of 2024. "I think what's driving that largely now is just a drop in consumer confidence," Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA, told CBS News. Hill says big resorts can absorb a few empty rooms if the price is right. "The philosophy in Las Vegas prior to the pandemic was, at any cost, fill a room," Hill said. "Now, that has moderated somewhat. And so there is a balance point that they have found that is actually a little bit below the occupancy that we saw at a peak, which was about 88% in 2019. They're comfortable in that 85% range at a little higher price." Another sore spot is that Las Vegas is seeing fewer international visitors, Hill explains. They are the ones who generally tend to stay longer and spend more. "It's an investment in a trip, and we're typically a bucket list," Hill said. "They want to come here, spend more days, really enjoy the experiences that are here. And so when we lose them, we're losing a very valuable customer." Tourists who do roll the dice in Vegas are currently dealing with heavy vehicle traffic. Months of construction and road closures for special events can turn a 10-minute ride into a crawl on the Strip. "We've had so many customers say, 'We're never coming back to this city, you can't get anywhere,'" said Will Tryon, co-owner of Adventure Photo Tours, which he operates with his wife Donna Tryon. Their company does tours in the surrounding region, including the Grand Canyon, Area 51, Zion National Park and Death Valley. The couple said higher fuel and insurance costs leave little room to cut prices. Some tours priced at $75 before the COVID-19 pandemic are now $109. "The economy, the money, they don't have the money to spend," Donna told CBS News. "And the fact is that Las Vegas is no longer a bargain vacation." Even so, plenty of visitors are still shelling out for hot tickets like Dead & Company's residency at the Sphere this spring, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour, which is coming to Allegiant Stadium in July. "It's like, you can go for the fancy experience, but then you can find a place that's a pretty good price," said Marc Kutzin, who is visiting from New York. The summer calendar is full of concerts, festivals and sporting events, and Hill believes the city will be resilient. "Las Vegas is gonna respond to this," Hill said. "We are going to have a great summer." California track and field final begins with new rules for transgender athletes Reporter's Notebook: Words of wisdom from college graduation speeches How a toddler's brave walk into the darkness to get help inspired his family
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Las Vegas may still dazzle, but its sparkle is coming at a steeper price: "No longer a bargain vacation"
Las Vegas — The "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign is usually the first stop for millions of tourists. But the line to snap a photo is noticeably shorter this spring as inflation, which has brought on higher prices for visitors, has hit "Sin City" hard. "We were here last year, almost exactly the same time," John Fischer, who is visiting from the United Kingdom, told CBS News. "And it was probably 20% more [expensive] this year." U.K. tourist Stuart Woodfall said he was surprised to pay $9 for a coffee. "In the U.K., we pay 4 pounds, 5 pounds for a coffee? So yeah, crazy," Woodfall said. Those higher prices haven't stopped convention traffic, but casual trips are down. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said 3.39 million people visited in March, down 7.8% from the same time last year. April saw a 5.1% drop in visitors from April 2024. Hotel occupancy also slipped, as the average nightly rate on the Las Vegas Strip reached $203 in April, the LVCVA said, up from $194 at the same time last year. The hotel occupancy rate rate in April was 84.5%, down slightly from 85.5% in April of 2024. "I think what's driving that largely now is just a drop in consumer confidence," Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA, told CBS News. Hill says big resorts can absorb a few empty rooms if the price is right. "The philosophy in Las Vegas prior to the pandemic was, at any cost, fill a room," Hill said. "Now, that has moderated somewhat. And so there is a balance point that they have found that is actually a little bit below the occupancy that we saw at a peak, which was about 88% in 2019. They're comfortable in that 85% range at a little higher price." Another sore spot is that Las Vegas is seeing fewer international visitors, Hill explains. They are the ones who generally tend to stay longer and spend more. "It's an investment in a trip, and we're typically a bucket list," Hill said. "They want to come here, spend more days, really enjoy the experiences that are here. And so when we lose them, we're losing a very valuable customer." Tourists who do roll the dice in Vegas are currently dealing with heavy vehicle traffic. Months of construction and road closures for special events can turn a 10-minute ride into a crawl on the Strip. "We've had so many customers say, 'We're never coming back to this city, you can't get anywhere,'" said Will Tryon, co-owner of Adventure Photo Tours, which he operates with his wife Donna Tryon. Their company does tours in the surrounding region, including the Grand Canyon, Area 51, Zion National Park and Death Valley. The couple said higher fuel and insurance costs leave little room to cut prices. Some tours priced at $75 before the COVID-19 pandemic are now $109. "The economy, the money, they don't have the money to spend," Donna told CBS News. "And the fact is that Las Vegas is no longer a bargain vacation." Even so, plenty of visitors are still shelling out for hot tickets like Dead & Company's residency at the Sphere this spring, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour, which is coming to Allegiant Stadium in July. "It's like, you can go for the fancy experience, but then you can find a place that's a pretty good price," said Marc Kutzin, who is visiting from New York. The summer calendar is full of concerts, festivals and sporting events, and Hill believes the city will be resilient. "Las Vegas is gonna respond to this," Hill said. "We are going to have a great summer."
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man on parole accused of human trafficking of a minor in Fort Collins
Fort Collins police arrested a man on accusations that he provided alcohol and drugs to minors and sexually assaulted at least one of the victims. The Larimer County Department of Human Services told Fort Collins Police Services about a possible incident involving sexual trafficking of a minor in early March, according to a news release. Police say their investigation revealed the suspect, 50-year-old John Fischer, had been providing alcohol, methamphetamine and cocaine to minors for about a month. Fischer is also accused of "engaging in sexual activities with at least one of the victims in exchange for cash and clothing," according to the news release. Fischer was arrested last week and faces two counts of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, a Class 2 felony, and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class 4 felony, according to the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Fort Collins police say additional charges were filed Friday, but those charges are not yet listed in online court records. Fischer was on parole in a previous case out of Fort Collins at the time of his arrest. He was arrested in 2018 for pimping after meeting with an undercover officer claiming that he would arrange for his wife to engage in prostitution, according to previous Coloradoan reporting. He pleaded guilty to pimping, a Class 3 felony, in that case in May 2020 and was sentenced to eight years in the Department of Corrections, according to online court records. The Coloradoan has reached out to Fort Collins Police Services and the Colorado Department of Corrections to find out when he was released on parole. Fischer is listed as an inmate in the Larimer County Jail as of Monday afternoon. His bond has been set at $300,000 cash only. He is next scheduled to appear in court April 16. Anyone with information about this suspect or other victims or juveniles who have had contact with him are asked to contact criminalist Laura Knudsen at 970-222-2497. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime. The SAVA Center provides crisis intervention, advocacy and counseling for those affected by sexual abuse in Northern Colorado, as well as prevention programs through community outreach and education. Fort Collins location: 970-472-4204 Loveland location: 970-775-2962 ChildSafe supports child and adult victims of childhood abuse and provides support for those victims' non-offending family members. 970-472-4133 The Crawford Child Advocacy Center works to prevent child abuse by providing services to help caseworkers and investigators stop perpetrators, protect victims, and support survivors and their families. 970-407-9739 Estes Valley Crisis Advocates provides a variety of free and confidential services to survivors of crimes and traumas. Call 970-577-9781 Text 513-970-3822 SummitStone Health Partners provides counseling for psychological, emotional and behavioral problems; domestic violence and sexual abuse victims; and drug and alcohol problems. It offers individual, group and family therapy. 970-494-4200 This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins police arrest man accused of human trafficking of a minor
