How Las Vegas Traveler ‘Poker Tells’ Can be an Ace For Data-Driven Marketers

Posted January 21, 2020
Author Carolyn Corda
Each year, around 48.5 million people descend on Las Vegas and famously: “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” But now thanks to predictive traveler intelligence, travel brands can get a glimpse of what is going to happen before travelers even begin their stay.
This is possible thanks to the deeper understanding of customer behaviors afforded by using a traveler data co-op – Through a data co-op, access to additional data points allows travel brands to gain a holistic view of travelers. The additional information provides accurate signals of traveler behaviour, and adds depth and better targeting when combined with a brand’s own data.
Gaining this holistic view of Las Vegas travelers can be the ace in the hole for travel brands, fuelling personalization strategies by informing bespoke promotions and relevant offers for travelers. According to research from Gartner, travel brands that don’t adopt personalized marketing strategies could lose as much as 38% of their customer base. This creates a window of opportunity for travel brands that are able to embrace personalized marketing strategies to reap the benefits and achieve a royal flush.
Identifying the ‘tells’
Truly understanding travelers requires travel brands to understand distinct groups of tourists. At Adara, we conducted research that compared US and UK travelers visiting Las Vegas. While both sets of tourists look similar when leaving an airport, they have unique ‘tells’ or differences that fundamentally alter their stay in Sin City. 
The first ‘tell’ we found was that US domestic travelers are more likely to visit Las Vegas in the latter half of the year when compared to UK travelers – 65% of domestic travels happen from week 27 to 52 compared to 59% for UK travelers. Secondly, we identified that UK travelers to Las Vegas are 35% less likely to be traveling alone. Travel brands can use this information to their advantage by identifying travelers and sending promotions and offers that are highly relevant to the recipient. For example, discounts for restaurants and massages for couples or suggesting ‘kids go free’ events to those traveling with children.
Personalizing loyalty programmes
We also found that 69% of British tourists in Las Vegas pay less than $200 per day for hotel rooms. With over 150,000 rooms available, there’s high demand and a battle to find the best deal at the best price. Hoteliers need to ensure they stand out amongst their competitors and can offer the most enticing experience.
Loyalty programmes are one way that hoteliers can stand out, and they are standard practice on The Strip. Most of the major hotel groups attract new and returning customers with relevant offers, including accommodation, dining, and entertainment. One example of this is M Life Rewards – MGM Group’s loyalty scheme (MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Excalibur, etc.) Members earn rewards for every dollar spent, allowing them to qualify for different tiers and claim rewards. These include personalized room offers, free parking, VIP access to nightclubs and priority check-in lines. However, customers can also opt for some very unique experiences – from swimming with dolphins at The Mirage to selecting The Bellagio Fountain songs – offering that extra incentive and the personal touch for customers looking for more from their stays.
Travel brands have to provide a unique experience and create an aspirational, attractive and desirable offering for travelers. When signing up for loyalty programmes, holiday-goers are no longer just looking for a trip to visit a particular location, they are looking to invest in experiences at a reasonable price. This might be the perfect photo on the edge of the Grand Canyon or the ultimate dining experience at The Venetian.
The importance of trip duration
Our research didn’t just differentiate between UK and US tourists. It also found that the average trip duration in Las Vegas is 25% longer than any other major US city. Travelers who fly into Los Angeles (LAX) airport after visiting Sin City are likely to stay in Vegas for 43% of their entire trip, while travelers who fly into San Francisco International Airport are likely to stay in Vegas for 37% of their trip. In practical terms, this means that travelers who fly into Los Angeles spend 3 out of 7 days in Las Vegas, compared to 2 and a half days for those who fly into San Francisco.
Travel marketers can use this understanding of customer behavior to target tourists with personalized offers while they are staying in Vegas and traveling elsewhere. For example, if a brand knows that tourists who fly into San Francisco will spend less time on the strip itself, its marketers will know to be more selective about which promotional offers to send during their limited time in the city.
Travel brands in Las Vegas face stiff competition in the city. However, by obtaining a deeper understanding of the city’s tourists through resources like a travel data co-op, travel brands can identify customer ‘ tells’ and can tailor experiences and offers accordingly. For those who are in it to win it – the prize is an emotional connection that drives repeat bookings, and the way to get there is through personalized recommendations that cut through the noise and assist travelers to have the best experience in the easiest way.