Las Vegas Strip Signs Say No Tipping Required of Tourists

Clark County has put new digital messages up on the Las Vegas Strip reminding tourists they do not have to pay street performers or costumed characters for photos. The campaign also recommends visitors report intimidation to the police after an incident involving two showgirl impersonators and a couple visiting the city. Clark County Launches Safety Campaign After Las Vegas Strip Brawl The messages went up on electronic displays along Las Vegas Boulevard on October 16. Tourists can watch street performers or take pictures without having to leave money, they explain. The signs also instruct someone who feels threatened to go to a police officer or call 911, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft announced the initiative on social media on October 17. He appealed to visitors to bear in mind that it is not necessary for them to pay to take photos with performers. County officials said the campaign was launched for public safety reasons. It seeks to define the rights of pedestrians in a zone where street entertainers often approach tourists to solicit tips. The move comes after an incident involving Eric Richards and Merihazel Walters, a couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, who went to Las Vegas for their wedding in September. The couple posed outside the Paris Las Vegas with two women dressed as showgirls for pictures. They paid $20 for the pictures, but the performers allegedly asked for more money. One of the women, Jennifer Ortiz, followed Richards as he tried to leave and allegedly attacked him, the police report states. The second woman, Magdellena Romero, struck her several times when she intervened, Walters told investigators. Both visitors were injured, police documents say. Surveillance video and other video evidence allegedly corroborated their account of the confrontation. Richards was cut across the forehead in the incident. Ortiz, 26, and Romero, 43, were taken into custody in the alleged assault. They are scheduled to return to court on December 3. Las Vegas Strip Tipping Campaign Raises Questions Over Visitor Safety The incident has sparked discussion as to whether the new signs will go far enough to deal with aggressive demands for money. Some critics say that visitors already know that tipping is voluntary but may have a hard time leaving situations where performers do not accept their decision. Suggestions discussed online included beefing up police enforcement, undercover operations and introducing permits for street performers. Others have warned tourists against giving money to people who ask for it on busy footpaths. The campaign comes as Las Vegas continues trying to maintain its allure to visitors amid concerns about the pace of its tourism recovery. A September report showed the average rate for Las Vegas Strip hotel rooms fell 10% year over year in August and 5% in September. Demand, it seems, is not steady across the calendar, with October rates said to be 7% higher. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has approved a marketing deal worth up to $1.45 million to attract Australian tourists. The campaign is backing Qantas’ planned seasonal nonstop service between Sydney and Las Vegas, which is due to launch in December. Las Vegas is also a major destination for business meetings. It was No. 2 on Cvent’s list of North American convention cities for 2025, behind Orlando, and three Las Vegas resorts made the top 10 list of convention hotels on the continent.