Tourists using Las Vegas as hub for hiking, biking — not gambling

LAS VEGAS — Thousands of Las Vegas tourists won't set foot inside a casino this year, but will leave footprints at Grand Canyon National Park.

The nature-tour industry still is overshadowed by the Las Vegas Strip, but as the city has become a more common destination for international travelers, a growing number of tourists want to row boats instead of rolling dice, and strap on hiking boots instead of cocktail dresses.

"More and more, we're hearing from our customers that they don't gamble when they come here, but they still like Las Vegas for the shows and the sightseeing," said Ken Pontone, owner of Las Vegas Grand Canyon Tours.

Kevin Bagger, director of Internet marketing and research for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said many tourists, especially international visitors, use Las Vegas as a hub for their travels around the Southwest.

More than one-fifth of Las Vegas tourists make a side trip to an attraction outside the city when they visit, Bagger said. The most popular destinations include the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

The convention authority is projecting 39.1 million people will visit Las Vegas in 2006, and more than 8 million people are expected to make some kind of side trip.

"We're expecting a 10 percent increase in the number of customers this year over last year," said Pontone, who would not disclose the number of his customers in 2005.

Pontone said many Asians and Europeans purchase adventure packages because a tour of the Grand Canyon, for many, is the trip of a lifetime. Most range in age from their late 30s to senior citizens, although there are some younger couples with children.

Tour packages and destinations vary.

Pontone said one of the most popular trips, a day bus tour to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, takes 13 1/2 hours and costs $89.

"It's popular because you can take large groups and it's relatively inexpensive," Pontone said.

Some tours are for the more adventurous, with combinations of air tours, helicopter flights, raft trips on the Colorado River and all-terrain vehicle expeditions.

One is a sport utility vehicle tour, which includes a trip to Hoover Dam and Boulder City, a helicopter ride, a boat trip and tour with six persons to a guide, costing $326 a person.