I admit it—Vegas is not a place I'd normally choose to visit—I don't gamble, not particularly into seeing the shows (although they are amazing), I don't golf, tend  to avoid partying crowds, and prefer the real Paris, the real New York and the real Pyramids. Yet, I've been coming to Vegas every August for the past 8 years…

 

Vegas is a great convention/meeting town and also has some of the finest restaurants of any city. Every August I get to experience both the meetings and the food when I attend Virtuoso's annual Travel Mart, where I meet one-to-one with hundreds of our supplier partners and network with my peers. The week is challenging and grueling and I wouldn't miss it for anything. Over the years I've been able to form some wonderful relationships that have enabled me to help customers' vacation experience—I get expert insider info and my clients get the best care possible.

 

Tonight something happened in Vegas that just can't stay in Vegas! It's too amazing and too wonderful to be confined to the city limits! This is our 8th year of meeting at the Bellagio, an amazing complex of gambling, fine art, fresh flowers, exquisite shops, sumptuous dining choices, comfortable accommodations, acres of pools, spa treatments, and, of course, the dancing fountain. When we arrived on Friday, we noticed there was hardly a line at the cab stand, our taxi driver told us how the Recession has hit Vegas hard with unemployment running around 12 %, and we had none of the usual long lines when we checked in at the Bellagio. Every employee we've encountered at the Bellagio has been gracious and friendly, service has been impeccable…and then there was tonight…

 

As we walked towards the Grand Ballroom for the Opening Cocktail Reception we were greated by hundreds of Bellagio employees who lined the hallway clapping enthusiastically. They kept clapping, waving, and smiling as all 2800 of us entered the ballroom. Greeting us inside was a huge card signed by each employee, welcoming us back and thanking us for being at the Bellagio. This was not a marketing ploy—it was sincere thanks because many of the auplauding staff had been brought back to work because of our meeting. Several of these grateful people had been laid off due to the Recession and now, because of people traveling to Vegas, attending a meeting that others might have skipped because of the economy, they are working again.

 

So, when we tell you that travel is an integral part of the world economy, how your vacation helps feed a family, a village, a nation, please believe us. One doesn't have to travel to a third world country to see the effect travel has on the local economy. Come to Vegas, Orlando, or stroll the streets of your own city when it is bustling with visitors and witness the activity, the sales, the employeed and the renewed hope.

 

What happened tonight in Vegas will stay in my heart and remind me that a vacation, a business trip, any type of travel rewards the visitor and the host.