Paul Szydelko
Developing ways to enhance the security and well-being of Nevada's visitors will be the emphasis of the new Tourist Safety Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Visitation to Las Vegas this year is expected to match or surpass prepandemic levels (the record was 42.9 million in 2016). New high-profile events drawing fresh attention to the Strip include the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix race this month and Super Bowl LVIII in February.
"We do things exceptionally well in an exceptionally safe way in Las Vegas. I think the world does come to us and says, 'Hey, how do you manage these large-scale events on a routine basis like you do?'" said Robert R. Ulmer, dean of the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. The college, which houses the Tourist Safety Institute, has research expertise in crime science, trauma-informed care, crisis communication and crowd management.
Considering Las Vegas' newfound reputation as a sports destination, Ulmer uses a sports metaphor when it comes to the institute's mission.
"We want to make sure that we extend our lead when it comes to tourism," he said. "Las Vegas and Nevada will be able to extend its knowledge base and its lead when it comes to tourism through an institute like this."
Robert R. Ulmer
The 2023 Nevada Legislature allocated $1 million over the next two years for the launch. The institute, approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents on Sept. 8, has been in the works for five or six years and is part of the college's mission is to promote community solutions and resilience, Ulmer said.
For the community to be resilient, Ulmer said it must proactively prepare for its own challenges. "We want Las Vegas and the state of Nevada to be the thought leader when it comes to safe, secure, fun, innovative, exciting events," he said.
To conduct research and be a repository for information, the institute expects to work with faculty across UNLV; local, state and federal officials; law enforcement agencies; and companies in the hospitality industry. It will periodically release reports, results of studies to the media and public. It will also present webinars, podcasts and conferences to spread word of their work.
Issues to address
Taking a better pulse of Vegas visitors through surveys and interviews on safety issues is among the institute's priorities.
"One of the things we want to be able to understand is how do people perceive [safety issues] when they come here. I don't believe we have data on that. It's helpful to know how people feel about it, and that allows us then to think about our policies," Ulmer said.
"Anybody that travels to a destination, the first question they ask is, "Is it safe?" That's a fair thing. And how do you know? This is a way that Nevada can demonstrably talk about through the institute."
Among the many broad subjects the institute is expected to study: planning for major events, tourist vulnerabilities, crowd dynamics and homeland security. Research will also look at the routine communication people need when they visit a tourist destination. But it will also consider what Ulmer calls "extreme events," how human trafficking, missing persons and mass shootings are handled.
Ulmer said the institute will seek to work with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV on trauma and trauma-informed care -- something Las Vegas had to address after the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the Strip: "What can other communities around the world learn from what we went through? And how can we ensure that we're doing our best job to learn from those [who have had] those experiences as well?"
A collaboration with UNLV's School of Public Health could study pandemic-related events and food-borne illness outbreaks: "How do we communicate to people in an expedient and effective manner? How to we contact trace as effectively as possible?" Ulmer said.
Perhaps more under-the-radar safety issues tourists face is the potential for interpersonal violence at nightclubs and day clubs and the importance of hydration when coming to Southern Nevada.
"Just being aware of the environment that you're in is absolutely critical," Ulmer said.
The institute will study not only common safety issues tourists face but what Las Vegas is doing to ensure safety, Ulmer said. The effort will help Las Vegas retain its edge as a global destination.
"As a community, if we can adjust accordingly, and say, 'Look, these are the things we've done to enhance the safety of tourists and residents that live here.' Over time, people [will recognize] that's a progressive community, that's a progressive state. They're looking at what challenges they have as a community, what issues they have. They're not sweeping them under the rug. They're finding out what those are, and they're dealing with them. They're being open and transparent about what they're doing."