Las Vegas expected to draw more than 300,000 visitors during holiday season

Santa Claus might not find a parking spot for his sleigh, as Las Vegas is expected to be the No. 1 vacation destination for Christmas and New Year’s Day, according to AAA’s national forecast, which predicts a record number of travellers during the holiday season.

The majority of those visitors to Las Vegas are expected to descend on Sin City just before New Year’s Eve, when a three-mile stretch of the Strip will shut down to make room for an onslaught of revelers ringing in 2017.

More than 300,000 people will visit the Las Vegas Valley for the holidays, with about 60 percent of those travelers making the trip by car, said Tony Illia, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

“As always, we encourage people to enjoy the holidays responsibly, so don’t drink and drive,” Illia said.

The heaviest congestion is expected to be along Interstate 15 and the Strip, particularly on New Year’s Eve.

Las Vegas Boulevard will close at 6 p.m. Dec. 31, turning into one giant party between Tropicana and Sahara avenues, said Brad Seidel, a spokesman for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. Several streets surrounding the Fremont Street Experience will close at 4 p.m. Dec. 31, followed one hour later by ramp closures along the I-15 at Flamingo and Spring Mountain roads.

Out-of town visitors are expected to spend about $225 million on food, hotels and gambling just to celebrate the New Year, “a testament to the strength and appeal of Las Vegas as the place to be,” said Amanda Arentsen, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Nationally, AAA forecasts more than 103 million people — close to a third of the population — will travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend, an increase of 1.5 percent over last year.

“Rising incomes and a desire to gather with family and friends should make this the most traveled holiday season ever recorded,” AAA Nevada spokeswoman Cynthia Harris said.

The vast majority of travellers plan to drive 50 or more miles from home. A big reason for that, AAA says, is that U.S. drivers have saved more than $27 billion on gasoline so far this year, compared to the same time frame in 2015. The average price per gallon nationwide is $2.22, AAA says, the second-lowest price since 2009, when the national average was $1.62.

More than 2.61 million airline passengers will come through McCarran International during the holiday travel period that starts Saturday and runs through Jan. 2, a 1.5 percent jump from the same time last year, airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said.

The increase in airline passengers flying in and out of Las Vegas follows a national trend for the holiday season. Nationally, about 45.2 million travelers will take to the skies for Christmas and New Year’s Day, a 3.5 percent increase from last year, according to Airlines for America.

Airport officials advised travelers to leave at least two hours before scheduled departure times, mostly due to long lines for ticketing and security.

After Las Vegas, the most popular holiday destinations this year are Orlando, Florida, New York, San Diego and Anaheim, AAA officials said.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.