It was with a sense of déjà vu that Las Vegas tourism hosted an intimate group of trade partners in Toronto late last week; after all, the last time the group met, in 2019, the location was the same, and (though the road in between was long and difficult) the city is again operating normally and at full capacity.

David Han, Canada’s sr. account rep. for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the audience that hotel occupancy is 100%, and that domestically visitations have returned to 2019 pre-pandemic levels, though he admitted that international arrivals are still lagging a bit.

Nevertheless, city tourism officials are expecting Canadians to reach up to 60% of pre-pandemic numbers by the end of the year.

And those among them will have to plenty of opportunities to get there on both WestJet and Air Canada, said representatives of the two airlines.

Noting that WestJet is the largest international carrier into Las Vegas, the company’s international agency sales manager Shannon Cunningham said that flights for the summer – 48 weekly from Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver – are already 90% full. She noted that Swoop also flies from Toronto and Hamilton.

After some “operational turbulence” during the recovery, she added that all WestJet pilots and flight attendants have returned to work, among 300 positions hired in February, and that another 700 staff will be hired this year.

Air Canada Vacations Ontario area sales manager Dianne Pedroso similarly reported a rebound in passengers to Las Vegas on Air Canada, especially amongst groups, and noted that packages with the tour operator are available from $599 with Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver serving as direct gateways.

While suggesting that visitors to Vegas will feel as if its 2019 again, Han listed a number of developments that have taken place over the past two years, ensuring that the city maintains its reputation for continually evolving, often at break-neck speed.

Among the developments visitors will discover this summer are new several new hotels – notably Resorts World Las Vegas, which features three Hilton-brand properties with 3,500 rooms, 40 restaurants, and the largest pool area in the city. Han suggest guests may get a break on room rates until Resorts World brand becomes better known.

Other new properties include the 777-room Circa Resort & Casino, the first new-build downtown property since 1980, which boasts a vintage vibe and massive aqua theatre (free for guests); Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, on the site of the old Hard Rock; and a new guitar-shaped Hard Rock (coming) on the site of the old Mirage.

In attractions news, Area 15, located off the Strip west of the Wynn, is a new “immersive playground” with activities ranging from ziplining to simulated golf (and much, much, more); and Han observes that the NFL Raiders are new tenants in the city, having taken residence at the new Allegiant Stadium in 2020. (The hockey Golden Knights are still a hot ticket in town).

Las Vegas is also synonymous with grand events, and Han reports there are a couple of doozies on the not-too-distant horizon: the city will host the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix Formula 1 race in 2023, featuring race cars on the city streets – including the Strip – for the first time in over 40 years. Such is the anticipation for the global event that rooms at the Cosmopolitan are already going for 10 grand.

And the Super Bowl is headed for Sin City in 2024.