COMMENTARY: The lesson for Las Vegas is clear: You can’t gouge your way to long-term success

I’ve been in the business of advertising since 1970. For more than five decades, I’ve had a front-row seat to how the right message can transform businesses, political campaigns and entire communities. I’ve seen stores that were empty one week turn into record-breaking success stories the next. I’ve worked with car dealers who became No. 1 in the world, not because their cars changed, but because their messaging did. I’ve helped hundreds of politicians — many who had never run for office before — win elections with the right story, told at the right time.

The pattern is always the same. When the message is wrong, when customers feel ignored or cheated, decline is inevitable. But when you listen, pivot and deliver value with a strong message behind it, success always follows.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about what I see happening in Las Vegas.

We are hearing more and more about visitation being down. Fewer people are coming to town, and those who do often leave with stories that don’t inspire anyone else to follow. Whenever I hear that trend, my question is simple: Who is calling the shots? Who is deciding that it makes sense to stay on this path?

Las Vegas has always been the city that reinvents itself before the world forces it to. From Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack to megaresorts, Cirque du Soleil and world-class dining, we’ve always been a step ahead. But today, the conversation is being led not by our advertising but by our customers. And too often, what they’re saying isn’t flattering.

Log on to your computer, and you’ll find it everywhere — Tripadvisor, Reddit, TikTok, Facebook travel groups. The comments pour in daily: “I feel ripped off.” “Resort fees are ridiculous.” “A dinner for two cost more than the flight.” “Vegas just isn’t fun anymore — it feels like work.”

It’s not one or two critics — it’s a growing chorus. The complaints range from $8 bottles of water and $25 cocktails to endless hidden fees and parking charges.

For decades, people came to Las Vegas because it felt like you were getting more than your money’s worth. Today, too many leave saying they’ll go somewhere else next time.

In the retail world, when business dropped or complaints piled up, we didn’t sit on our hands. We didn’t double down on bad practices. We pivoted. We changed offers, reshaped experiences and reframed the story until customers felt good again.

When I worked with car dealerships, I watched messaging transform average sellers into global leaders. With political campaigns, I saw first-time candidates — people with no name recognition — win big, simply because they carried the right message to voters.

The lesson is clear: You cannot gouge your way to long-term success. You win by giving people value, reminding them why they chose you and leaving them eager to come back.

That’s what Las Vegas needs now: a new message and a new mindset.

The message must be simple: Las Vegas is still the best vacation value in the world. But it can’t be just a slogan. It has to be backed up with transparency, fairness and real hospitality. That means honest pricing, authentic experiences and a renewed focus on giving visitors more joy and excitement than they expected.

Other cities are competing hard for the same travelers. Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando — they’re all selling fun and value. And they’re telling that story in the same digital spaces where Las Vegas is currently taking criticism. If we don’t change our story now, we risk letting others steal the narrative.

The responsibility lies with government leaders, resort executives and tourism officials. If visitation is slipping, if customer reviews are turning sour, the answer isn’t to wait and hope. It’s to pivot — just as any successful business or campaign would do. In my career, the organizations that refused to change their message were the ones that didn’t last.

Las Vegas has been built on resilience. We’ve overcome recessions, pandemics and cultural shifts. But our strength has never been luck — it has always been our ability to reinvent ourselves before the rest of the world left us behind.

I know one thing for certain: When Las Vegas gets its message right, nobody in the world can compete. This city has magic. It has the ability to deliver experiences you simply can’t find anywhere else. We just need to stop chasing short-term profits and start thinking long-term again.

Let’s remind the world what made us famous in the first place. Let’s show them the value, the excitement, the escape that only Las Vegas can deliver. Let’s change the message, fix the experience and give visitors back the feeling they once had — that coming to Las Vegas was the best decision they ever made.

If we do that, I have no doubt the crowds will return, the excitement will surge and the legend of Las Vegas will continue to grow. Because in this business, just like in politics or retail, the right message changes everything.

Tom Letizia is a long-time Las Vegas advertising executive, political consultant and PR strategist.