MESQUITE — Tourism leaders in this small rural community an hour and change northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15 have theories about why they’re faring better than their cohorts in Sin City.

It’s all about providing value and resistance to nickel-and-diming customers that they say is prevalent in Las Vegas through resort fees and paid self-parking.

While visitor volume is down 8 percent to 22.6 million in the first seven months of 2025 in Las Vegas, it’s actually up 6 percent to 859,000 in Laughlin. It’s down just 2.1 percent to 508,000 in this town that has built a reputation as a high-value golf getaway, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which monitors tourism in Laughlin and Mesquite as well as Las Vegas.

“It’s an hour drive to kind of decompress a litt

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