Few cities have suffered the Great Recession's wrath like Las Vegas. Its housing market is barely breathing. At 14.2 percent, its unemployment rate makes other major U.S. cities look good. Even the megaresorts on the Strip, once reliable cash cows, have posted a two-year loss of $6 billion. That's why the return of Canadian pop-star Celine Dion, who personifies booming Las Vegas (her multi-year run that ended in 2007 grossed $400 million), is creating such an optimistic buzz. Caesars Palace has signed Dion through 2014, promising her a reported $100 million to perform 70 times a year. Ticket sales have been brisk, at $55 to $250 a seat, but can Dion really salvage an entire city? (Watch a local report about Dion's gig)
It could make a difference: Perhaps it's a coincidence that Dion's last mega-successful run came during the boom times, says Anthony Curtis, president of a tourist-focused website, as quoted by USA Today. But if Dion's fan-base — middle-class men and women who are not hardcore gamblers — returns to Las Vegas, it could "help make up for the crowds we’ve lost since the economy went bad."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
