Misplaced Pages

#148851

58-398: Expedia Group, Inc. is an American travel technology company that owns and operates travel fare aggregators and travel metasearch engines , including Expedia , Hotels.com , Vrbo , Travelocity , Hotwire.com , Orbitz , Ebookers, CheapTickets , CarRentals.com, Expedia Cruises , Wotif , and Trivago . Over 3 million lodging facilities and flights on over 500 airlines are bookable on

116-577: A big influence in consumer’s attitudes and actions, resulting in different choices of products and planning aspects. The introduction of smartphones and mobile applications has also had a big effect on the tourism industry. Social media posts allow users to gather general information, free of marketing bias. GPS and social media apps allow users to tag and share their locations. People no longer need to print out directions and can use map apps to help them get around. Social media users can search for locations on social media platforms and gain more knowledge of

174-522: A casino. At a cost of $ 8.5 billion, it is the most expensive privately funded construction project in U.S. history. The Tropicana Hotel, opened in 1957, will be demolished in April 2025 in order to create a new baseball stadium. Bally's Corporation , the owner of the hotel, indicated that upon completion of the stadium it would further develop the site. Traditionally, housing consisted primarily of single-family detached homes . Slab-on-grade foundations are

232-574: A central, and large valley with an attached feeder valley northwest, and in this case the northwest source, and actual course of the Las Vegas Wash. The valley is a fault-bounded structural and hydrologic basin made of alluvial-fan deposits. There are several aquifers contained within the valley including the Las Vegas Aquifer. These heavily depleted water sources exist at about 660–980 feet (200–300 m) in depth. As of 1986, estimate show that

290-465: A magnitude 7 event, Whitney Mesa Fault, Cashman Fault, Valley View Fault, Decatur Fault, Eglington Fault and the West Charleston Fault. Having part of the region in a desert basin creates problems with air quality . From the dust the wind picks up, to the smog produced by vehicles, to the pollen in the air, the valley has several bad air days. Pollen can be a major problem several weeks

348-527: A rebound. In 2000, more than 21,000 new homes and 26,000 resale homes were purchased. In early 2005, there were 20 residential development projects of more than 300 acres (120 ha) each underway. During that same period, Las Vegas was regarded as the fastest-growing community in the United States . Other promising residential and office developments have begun construction around Downtown Las Vegas . New condominium and high-rise hotel projects have changed

406-583: A wet string of years, which overstated the available water in the entire watershed. As a result, precipitation that is below normal for a few years can significantly affect the Colorado River reservoirs. The Las Vegas area uses most of this allocation with Laughlin, Nevada using most of the remaining allocation. In June 2007, the price of a cubic meter was 57 cents in Las Vegas. Las Vegas gets around 90 percent of its water from Lake Mead. Early Vegas depended on

464-524: A year in stock vesting over three years. In August 2017, Mark Okerstrom became the President and CEO of Expedia, Inc. In December 2019, Mark Okerstrom and Alan Pickerill resigned as CEO and CFO, respectively. At that time, Expedia Group's chairman, Barry Diller, took over day-to-day operations, while the Chief Strategy Officer, Eric Hart, became acting CFO. In February 2020, Expedia announced it

522-438: A year, with counts occasionally in the 70,000-plus range. Local governments are trying to control this by banning plants that produce the most pollen. The dust problems usually happen on very windy days, so they tend to be short and seasonal. Full-fledged dust storms are rare. Smog, on the other hand, gets worse when there is no wind to move the air out of the valley. Also, in winter it is possible for an inversion to form in

580-464: Is around 1,600 square miles (4,100 km ). All perimeters, except the northwest, are foothills or mountain ranges, with all highway routes entering the foothills; this includes the Interstate 15 to the southwest, as it climbs to Jean Pass (north) , before traversing Ivanpah Valley . Only the U.S. Route 95 northwest follows an actual valley. The northwest section, thus describes the entire landform as

638-515: Is contained in the Las Vegas Valley landform. This includes the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, and the unincorporated towns of Summerlin South , Paradise , Spring Valley , Sunrise Manor , Enterprise , Winchester , and Whitney . The valley is located within the larger metropolitan area, as the metropolitan area covers all of Clark County including parts that do not fall within

SECTION 10

#1732884590149

696-472: Is occurring closer to the core. The Chinatown of Las Vegas was constructed in the early 1990s on Spring Mountain Road. Chinatown initially consisted of only one large shopping center complex, but the area was expanded with shopping centers that contain various Asian businesses. Over the past few years, retirees have been moving to the metro area, driving businesses that support them from housing to health care. While

754-572: The 30th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The Las Vegas Valley lies in the Mojave Desert . The valley in the northwest section is a northwest-by-southeast trending area, and trending parallel to Las Vegas Wash, lies at the northeast of the Spring Mountains massif . U.S. Route 95 leaves Las Vegas's northwest and goes northwesterly through

812-533: The COVID-19 pandemic , customers complained regarding the process to get refunds for cancelled flights. Customers complained of excessively long call times and being unable to get through to a representative. This led to many lawsuits. On February 12, 2020, Expedia Group was included on a list of companies operating in West Bank settlements involved in activities that "raised particular human rights concerns" published by

870-551: The Dormant Commerce Clause . In a unanimous ruling, the court determined that, while Travelscape does not have physical facilities in South Carolina, frequent sales trips made by its employees and the fact that the company furnished hotel rooms in the state establish its presence for tax purposes and is sufficient to be required to pay sales tax. Travel technology Travel technology was originally associated with

928-727: The Gulf of California soak much of the Southwestern United States . While not only raising humidity levels, these winds develop into dramatic desert thunderstorms that can sometimes cause flash flooding . Winter days in metropolitan Las Vegas range from mild to quite chilly, and sunny most days; while winter itself is of short duration. Winter highs in December and January usually range from 52 °F (11 °C) to 60 °F (16 °C), while nighttime lows range from 34 °F (1 °C) to 42 °F (6 °C). The mountains surrounding

986-801: The Interbay neighborhood of Seattle , purchasing the Amgen campus on the Elliott Bay waterfront for $ 228.9 million and investing an additional $ 900 million on renovation and expansion of the 41-acre (17 ha) campus to 1.23 million square feet (114,000 m). The first employees moved into the new headquarters in October 2019. In 2021, Expedia built a new campus in DLF Cyber Park, Gurugram , India . In July 2015, Expedia made an investment in Wingz . In 2020, during

1044-700: The Lanham Act , and also falsely noting that hotels with which the company had no relationship were "sold out". In April 2021, the lawsuit was settled and the company promised not to engage in false advertising. In January 2011, Travelscape, a subsidiary of Expedia Inc. based in the Las Vegas Valley , was ordered to pay $ 6.3 million in back sales taxes to South Carolina by the South Carolina Supreme Court . Travelscape argued that South Carolina's efforts to tax online retailers located out-of-state violate

1102-712: The United Nations Human Rights Council . The company was categorized under "the provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements". In August 2016, Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn, LLC filed a class-action lawsuit in California accusing the company and its partners of violating trademark rights of numerous independent hotel and motel establishments by running advertising implying that consumers could book reservations for those hotels on Expedia even though Expedia had no relationship with those hotels, in violation of

1160-416: The aquifer which fed the flowing springs supporting the meadows that gave the area its name, but the pumping of water from these caused a large drop in the water levels and ground subsidence over wide areas of the valley. Today, the aquifers are basically used to store water that is pumped from the lake during periods of low demand and pumped out during periods of high demand. The population doubling time in

1218-415: The computer reservations system (CRS) of the airlines industry, but is now used more inclusively, incorporating the broader tourism sector as well as its subset the hospitality industry. Booking engines allow easy access for consumers and travel professionals; the systems enable individuals to make reservations and compare prices. Online travel agencies such as expedia.com , are a large contribution to how

SECTION 20

#1732884590149

1276-514: The southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada , and the second largest in the Southwestern United States . The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive since 2003 with Clark County , Nevada. The Valley is largely defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a 600 sq mi (1,600 km ) basin area surrounded by mountains to the north, south, east and west of

1334-618: The Las Vegas Valley was the Mexican scout Rafael Rivera in 1829. Las Vegas was named by Mexicans in the Antonio Armijo party, including Rivera, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 19th century, areas of the valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas, or meadows , hence the name Las Vegas ( vegas being Spanish for "meadows"). The area

1392-472: The Las Vegas Wash into tunnels which run under Lake Las Vegas and into Lake Mead . Nevada receives an allocation 300,000 acre-feet (370,000,000 m ) of water each year from Lake Mead, with credits for water it returns to the lake. The allocations were made with the Colorado River Compact when Nevada had a much smaller population and very little agriculture. The allocations were also made during

1450-498: The Las Vegas area. In the first decade of the 21st century, shopping and dining have become attractions of their own. Tourism marketing and promotion are handled by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , a county-wide agency. Its annual Visitors Survey provides detailed information on visitor numbers, spending patterns, and resulting revenues. While Las Vegas has historically attracted high-stake gamblers from around

1508-471: The Las Vegas skyline dramatically in recent years. Many large high-rise projects are planned for Downtown Las Vegas, as well as the Las Vegas Strip. Construction in Las Vegas is a major industry and quickly growing with the population. In March 2011, construction employed 40,700 people and is expected to grow with the recovering economy. Since the mega resorts that define Las Vegas today began going up in

1566-496: The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 31st most populous metropolitan statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area as a component of the more extensive Las Vegas–Henderson, NV–AZ CSA , the 27th most populous combined statistical area and

1624-455: The Nellis pilots use and various other land areas used by various federal agencies, limit growth of the valley in terms of geographic area. Businessman Howard Hughes arrived in the late 1960s and purchased many casino hotels, as well as television and radio stations in the area. Legitimate corporations began to purchase casino hotels as well, and the mob was run out by the federal government over

1682-504: The Paiute reservation. The metropolitan area was created for the 1970 census when it only included Clark County. In 2000, the metropolitan area was changed to include Nye County, Nevada , and Mohave County, Arizona , but it later returned to only being Clark County. The Office of Management and Budget has designated Clark County as the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked

1740-547: The city, and as a brand by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to denominate the region. The Valley is affectionately known as the Ninth Island by Hawaii natives and Las Vegans alike, in part due to the large number of people originally from Hawaii who live in and regularly travel to Las Vegas. Since the 1990s, the Las Vegas Valley has seen rapid growth, tripling its population from 741,459 in 1990 to 2,227,053 estimated in 2018. The Las Vegas Valley remains one of

1798-438: The common base for residential buildings in the valley. Apartments generally were two-story buildings. Until the 1990s, there were exceptions, but they were few and far between. In the 1990s, Turnberry Associates constructed the first high rise condominium towers. Prior to this, there were only a handful of mid-rise multi-family buildings. By the mid-2000s, there was a major move into high rise condominiums towers, which affected

Expedia Group - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-463: The company's websites. It has 16,500 employees, and its headquarters are located in Seattle , Washington . The word "Expedia" is derived from a combination of "exploration" and "speed". Founded as a division of Microsoft in October 1996, Expedia was spun off into a public company in 1999. IAC , known at the time as USA Networks Inc, acquired a controlling interest in the company in 2001 and acquired

1914-408: The cost of housing spiked up over 40% in 2004, the lack of business and income taxes still makes Nevada an attractive place for many companies to relocate to or expand existing operations. Being a true twenty-four-hour city, call centers have always seemed to find Las Vegas a good place to hire workers who are accustomed to working at all hours. The construction industry accounts for a share of

1972-594: The distorted surface, bottom land turns north, a 6 miles (9.7 km) area in length and about 3 miles (4.8 km) wide. It lies at the south drainage section of the Three Lakes Valley , where a water divide separates Dog Bone Lake in the valley's center from the southwest washes that drain into the Las Vegas Valley (upland Las Vegas Wash). The Corn Creek Dunes lie about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Route 156's intersection with U.S. 95, and they are slightly northeast of Las Vegas Wash. The Las Vegas Valley

2030-702: The early 1970s, construction has played a vital role in both commercial and non commercial developments. Cranes are a constant part of the Las Vegas Skyline. At any given time there are 300 new homes being constructed in Las Vegas. Downtown and The Strip always have at least one hospitality project under construction. In addition, in recent years Las Vegas has seen a spike in high-rise housing units. Luxurious condos and penthouse suites are always being built. New suburban master planned communities are also becoming common in Las Vegas ever since The Howard Hughes Corporation began work on Summerlin, an upper-class community on

2088-516: The economy in Las Vegas. Hotel casinos planned for the Strip can take years to build and employ thousands of workers. Developers discovered that there was demand for high-end condominiums . By 2005, more than 100 condominium buildings were in various stages of development, however, in 2008, the construction industry went into a downturn due to the Great Recession , though the industry has since seen

2146-418: The effect of these temperatures, though dehydration , heat exhaustion , and sun stroke can occur after even a limited time outdoors in the summer. The interiors of automobiles often prove deadly to small children and pets during the summer and surfaces exposed to the sun can cause first- and second-degree burns to unprotected skin. July and August can also be marked by monsoon season , when moist winds from

2204-484: The fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In its relatively short history, it has established a diverse presence in international business, commerce, urban development, and entertainment, as well as one of the most visited tourist attractions destinations in the world. In 2014, a record-breaking 41 million people visited the Las Vegas area, producing a gross metropolitan product of more than $ 100 billion. The first reported non- Native American visitor to

2262-428: The greater metropolitan area was under ten years, since the early 1970s and the Las Vegas metropolitan area now has a population approaching two million people. This rapid population growth led to a significant urbanization of desert lands into industrial and commercial areas (see suburbia ). The driving force in Las Vegas is the tourism industry and the area has about 150,000 hotel rooms, more than any other city in

2320-477: The locations without using a review site. Applications such as Uber and Lyft have also made travelling easier. Users no longer have to plan ahead for transportation to and from an airport or a different destination. Ubers and Lyfts may also be used in place of a rental car. Today the tour guide can be a GPS tour guide, and the guidebook could be an audioguide and trips could be planned completely online. The continuing evolution of information technology and

2378-634: The metropolitan area. The Valley is home to the three largest incorporated cities in Nevada: Las Vegas , Henderson and North Las Vegas . Eleven unincorporated towns governed by the Clark County government are part of the Las Vegas Township and constitute the largest community in the state of Nevada. The names Las Vegas and Vegas are interchangeably used to indicate the Valley, the Strip , and

Expedia Group - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-412: The next several years. The constant stream of tourist dollars from the hotels and casinos was augmented by a new source of federal money from the establishment of what is now Nellis Air Force Base . The influx of military personnel and casino job-hunters helped start a land building boom which is now leveling off. The Las Vegas area remains one of the world's top entertainment destinations. The valley

2494-462: The northwest valley section, with Las Vegas Wash about 2 miles (3 km) northeast. U.S. 95 lies on the southwest perimeter of the valley bottomlands, and small alluvial fan areas from the northeast Spring Mountains border southwest. A "distorted surface", a playa -like region, occurs at the farthest northwest area, for about 15 to 18 miles (24 to 29 km), starting from Nevada Route 157 . At Nevada Route 156 , 10 miles (16 km) northwest,

2552-635: The region's skyline around the Strip. The Las Vegas Valley is home to various suburban master planned communities that include extensive recreational amenities such as lakes, golf courses, parks, bike paths and jogging trails. Planned communities in the valley include Aliante , Anthem , Cadence, Centennial Hills, Green Valley , Inspirada, Lake Las Vegas , The Lakes , Mountain's Edge , Peccole Ranch, Providence, Rhodes Ranch , Seven Hills , Skye Canyon, Southern Highlands , and Summerlin . Some technology companies have either relocated to Las Vegas or were created there. For various reasons, Las Vegas has had

2610-416: The remainder of the company in 2003. In August 2005, IAC spun off the company. In December 2011, Expedia, Inc. spun off TripAdvisor . In 2003, Rich Barton resigned as CEO and was replaced by Erik Blachford. In December 2004, Dara Khosrowshahi was announced as CEO. In March 2017, Chelsea Clinton was named to the board of directors of Expedia, with compensation of $ 45,000 a year in cash, plus $ 250,000

2668-594: The travel and tourism industries have changed due to technology. These online agencies help users plan and book trips and provide comparisons of hotels, flights, vacation packages, prices and more, all in one place. The change from of-person to online travel agencies gives the customer more power in planning their trip. The increase in review websites has also had a huge impact on the tourism industry. Sites such as tripadvisor.com let users read, post, and interact with reviews of travel experiences and attractions others have had. eWOM, meaning electronic word of mouth, has become

2726-479: The valley and the state and exercises jurisdiction in the entire county. There are approximately 3,000 police officers who cover the city of Las Vegas; unincorporated areas; the town of Laughlin, about 90 mi (140 km) from Downtown Las Vegas ; and desert, park, and mountain areas within Clark County. The department does not exercise primary jurisdiction in areas with separate police forces such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Nellis Air Force Base and

2784-492: The valley are snow-covered during the winter season, but snow accumulation in the metropolitan area itself is uncommon. Every few years apart, however, Las Vegas does get a small measurable snowfall. Spring and fall are generally dry and with hot, sunny days and cool nights. The valley is an active earthquake zone crossed by multiple fault and thrust lines. These include the 20-mile (32 km) long Frenchman Mountain Fault capable of

2842-616: The valley floor allows water to flow down from the mountains and converge in the Las Vegas Wash which runs through the Clark County Wetlands Park . The wash system used to form a large natural wetlands which then flowed into the Colorado River , until the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River led to the creation of Lake Mead. Further development in the 1980s and 1990s made Lake Las Vegas , which required directing

2900-754: The valley floor in Downtown Las Vegas has subsided by about 6.2 feet (1.9 m) and about 2.9 feet (0.88 m) along The Strip as a result of pumping from these aquifers. The Las Vegas Valley lies in a relatively high-altitude portion of the Mojave Desert , with a subtropical hot-desert climate . The Valley generally averages less than 5 in (130 mm) of rain annually. Daily daytime summer temperatures in July and August typically range from 100 °F (38 °C) to 110 °F (43 °C), while nights generally range from 72 °F (22 °C) to 80 °F (27 °C). Very low humidity, however, tempers

2958-416: The valley. Since manufacturing is not a dominant industry of Las Vegas, and with Clark County working to control air quality problems, success has been shown over the years. The native flora does little to help the soil retain water. During the intense rains of monsoon season or (relatively) wet months of January and February, a network of dry natural channels, called washes or arroyos , carved into

SECTION 50

#1732884590149

3016-424: The valley. The government of Clark County has an "Urban Planning Area" of Las Vegas. This definition is a roughly rectangular area, about 20 mi (32 km) from east to west and 30 miles (48 km) from north to south. Notable exclusions from the "Urban Planning Area" include Red Rock , Blue Diamond , and Mount Charleston . The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is the largest police department in

3074-442: The west side of the valley. The massive CityCenter project, by MGM Mirage , broke ground on the Strip in 2006. It put a massive strain on the construction ability and workforce of the area due to number of laborers and amount of materials required. Because of this, prices of almost any construction project in Las Vegas doubled. The project was completed in 2009 and includes multiple hotels and condominiums, as well as shopping and

3132-462: The widespread public use of the Internet has created a number of conditions that have been both beneficial and detrimental to the modern travel agency. The internet is reshaping many business aspects. As a result, the travel and tourism industries will have to continue to adapt to new technologies in the future. Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in

3190-516: The world, it is now facing tougher competition from the UK, Hong Kong and Macau (China), Eastern Europe and developing areas in the Middle East. Las Vegas has recently enjoyed a boom in population and tourism. The urban area has grown outward so quickly that it borders Bureau of Land Management holdings along its edges. This has led to an increase in land values such that medium- and high-density development

3248-457: The world. In the past, casinos and celebrity shows were the two major attractions for the area. Now shopping , conventions , fine dining , and outdoor beauty are also major forces in attracting tourist dollars. Las Vegas serves as world headquarters for the world's largest Fortune 500 gaming company, MGM Resorts International . Several companies involved in the manufacture of electronic gaming machines, such as slot machines , are located in

3306-502: Was cutting 3,000 jobs, roughly 12% of the workforce, citing a "disappointing 2019." Diller, in his role as acting CEO, stated the company had become "sclerotic and bloated" and that employees were "all life and no work." In April 2020, Peter Kern was appointed as CEO of Expedia Group. He was the highest paid CEO in the S&;P 500 in 2021, with $ 296 million in total compensation. In 2015, Expedia announced that it would move its headquarters to

3364-426: Was previously settled by Mormon farmers in 1854 and later became the site of a United States Army fort in 1864, beginning a long relationship between southern Nevada and the U.S. military. Since the 1930s, Las Vegas has generally been identified as a gaming center as well as a resort destination , primarily targeting adults. Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast corner of the valley. The ranges that

#148851