Agents experience #VegasUnwrapped

PAX is on location in Las Vegas this week with a group of 45 travel agents from across Canada, exploring new attractions in this old favourite destination with the theme “Vegas Unwrapped.” With more than $8 billion being invested in new and updated attractions and amenities over the next few years, there’s plenty to learn about this desert town known as the 'Entertainment Capital of the World.'

First up when agents arrived in town yesterday (Nov. 29) was a welcome reception at Maverick Aviation, where Rafael Villanueva, senior director, international sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), offered an encouraging message.

Rafael Villanueva, senior director, international sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority meets with Canadian agents.

“This week you’ll see why your customers still come to our city even though the U.S. dollar is strong,” he said, noting he prefers that perspective rather than saying the Canadian dollar is weak. “It comes from your work and your effort.”

Agents then took to the skies, getting a bird’s-eye view of the Las Vegas lights with Maverick’s 15-minute Vegas Nights helicopter ride over the Strip.

From there it was off for an evening of ice skating at The Ice Rink at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Open from American Thanksgiving through Jan. 1, the rink overlooking Paris Las Vegas and the Bellagio is the winter replacement for the Boulevard Pool. Guests can rent skates, order from a menu of seasonal cocktails or settle in with a s’mores kit for two to roast marshmallows over the rink-side fire pits.

Since Vegas is Vegas, there was still time for one more activity before calling it a night: the high-flying KA by Cirque de Soleil at the MGM Grand.

In the coming days, PAX will picnic in the Grand Canyon, drive an ATV through El Dorado Canyon, explore “Old Vegas” at the Freemont Street Experience, and ride the monorail along the Strip checking off challenges as part of a social media scavenger hunt.

You can follow along with PAX and the agents currently exploring Las Vegas by following the hashtag #VegasUnwrapped on social media. Stay tuned for more updates from the trip early next week!