Smart Travel: Las Vegas changing its image

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A trip to a travel meeting in Las Vegas gave us a new insight into the way the city is changing its image to suit changing times. |ret||ret||tab|

Las Vegas was, as recently as 10 years ago, the home for serious and amateur gamblers (now universally termed "gamers") to spend some time at the slot machines and tables in hopes of a quick fortune. These gamers still thrive in Las Vegas, but the new, luxurious casino hotels of "the strip" are now looking for other sources of revenue, and the face of the resort city is changing.|ret||ret||tab|

About 10 years ago MGM Grand opened on the strip and for the first time championed family vacations. It built, on its back lot, a miniature Disney World with rides and all kinds of other attractions for children. They designed family-friendly rooms, special family rates and activity programs to occupy children while their folks were occupied in the casino. They marketed these offerings and began a trend that has become so widespread in the city that in some cases it has become difficult to reach the slot machines for the strollers.|ret||ret||tab|

Now as you stroll the streets of the strip, you see as many children hand in hand with their parents as there are adults. Almost every casino has an arcade full of the kind of electronic games that children love, ice cream vendors are everywhere, and the hotel staff is obviously trained to pamper the child guests. The restaurants, some with special children's menus, are crowded with youngsters, and there is good representation of the younger generation even in the grand shows that are standard in every establishment.|ret||ret||tab|

The next and newest venture of Las Vegas is as the entertainment center. Each venue has a bigger, splashier, more elaborate show to offer. The Cirque de Soleil is one of the favorites, and although the days of Sinatra and Sammy Davis are gone, there are plenty of name acts in town to entertain everyone. The bars and lounges feature excellent singers, jazz groups and comedians, and there is outdoor entertainment for the masses. You can watch an erupting volcano, a pirate raid, elaborate fountain shows and other splendid productions at all hours. |ret||ret||tab|

Finally, Las Vegas is priming itself to be a convention and meeting center without equal. There is, of course, a huge convention center and there are more hotel rooms in the city than almost any other site. But they now feature new, upscale convention venues in the luxury hotels built in the last three or four years. |ret||ret||tab|

Our group, the Virtuoso travel group, an upscale travel consortium, met at Bellagio, one of the newest and most luxurious hotels on the strip. They handled our group of more than 2,000 with incredible skill and facilities. The meeting rooms were expansive, elaborate, attractive and beautifully equipped. The meals were delicious and skillfully served. |ret||ret||tab|

Las Vegas, also called "Tinsel Town," is trying very hard to grow a new face, and our experience tells us that may very well succeed in becoming a family entertainment and convention Mecca. |ret||ret||tab|

(Linda and Dr. Don Overend are co-owners of Ozark World Travel, a full-service travel agency serving the Springfield area since 1976.) |ret||ret||tab|

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