Elvis Presley fans will be thrilled to hear that Southwest Airlines is soon launching new seasonal flights to connect two of the most vibrant and Elvis-themed cities in the world – Memphis, Tennessee and Las Vegas, Nevada. The announcement coincides with the kickoff of Elvis Week this week on the 9th of August, which will see tens of thousands of Elvis fans’ pilgrimage to Memphis to commemorate the late King of Rock’n’Roll.
With the new seasonal flights between Las Vegas and Memphis, Australian travellers can now kill two birds with one stone and explore both cities in one go. Those who have always dreamed of a wedding in Las Vegas with an Elvis celebrant can then jet off to Memphis for an Elvis-themed honeymoon.
The annual events of Elvis Week taking place between 9-17 August also makes Memphis the best place to travel in August according to TripAdvisor. Each year, a range of events to highlight and celebrate the artist’s career are put on at his former residence Graceland and this year includes a showing of Elvis’ record-breaking performance in Las Vegas. Australians who don’t have a trip planned to Memphis this August can join in virtually as multiple events will be live-streamed on Graceland’s website.
Not only has Memphis been voted the best place to travel in August, but recent data from the Tennesee Department of Tourist Development has shown that the state of Tennessee set new records in tourism last year. In 2023, Tennessee tourism, largely driven by the Memphis appeal, generated US$30.6 billion in direct visitor spending, a 25% increase over two years. Total visitors in Tennessee topped 144 million last year, an increase of 3 million people since 2022.
The Southwest Airlines seasonal flights will operate five times weekly from Thursday through Monday between Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). In addition, Southwest Airlines has announced that they are also resuming its service between Memphis and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) which will also be operating Thursday-Monday. Both services will launch on October 3, 2024.
