We just returned from one of our regular visits to Sin City or in our case – Sun City. I am privileged to have in-laws living in the Del Webb Sun City development of Summerlin, just northwest of The Strip. It is a beautiful paradise retreat away from the crazy crowds.
Having been to Vegas many times over many years, I was wondering what the local vibe would be following the recent tragedy and new movement of “Vegas Strong”.
I recalled the days in Vegas after 9/11 were extremely somber, but the city returned to “Vegas Norm” quite quickly. Tourist numbers turned around in a relatively short amount of time. What would it feel like after a major tragedy hit on their own Strip?
Arriving at the airport I was welcomed by an abundance of shirts, souvenirs and banners all declaring Vegas Strong. A gigantic banner declaring VEGAS STRONG now covers the affected area of the Mandalay Bay. It was quite moving. At night the banner remains in darkness, providing even more sobering impact.
Outside of the tourist areas it appeared it was life as usual with everyone going about their daily business. No one talks about it, no shirts are for sale and you don’t see banners blaring any motto. At first I was taken back a bit. Did the locals not care because those affected were mostly visitors? The local news promotes Vegas Strong as part of their broadcast. If you look into the local papers you find there are many people and groups still helping visitors who were affected by the tragedy. Locals felt compassion for those who filled their hospitals and emergency rooms. It’s there, just not blaring in your face but I learned t didn’t need to be.
Vegas residents have always been Vegas Strong. They understand their lifestyle is dependent on tourism. They enjoy having a vibrant city at their fingertips, a nice quality of life, low taxes and accessibility to world class restaurants and entertainment. Being Vegas Strong means putting everything together again and welcoming the world back into their backyard and they do it all quite well.