Long live the King? By some indication, tourist interest in Elvis Presley is on the decline—which would make sense given that fewer and fewer people with firsthand memories of the King of Rock ‘n Roll in action are around. Yet some say the notion that Elvis interest is dying is nonsense. A recent article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal claimed that interest in Elvis Presley, at least in Sin City, has taken a hit. The story reported that while there are an impressive 198 Las Vegas-area Elvis impersonators listed at the entertainment-booking site Gigmasters.com, the number of Elvis Presley impersonator bookings fell by over 20% from 2011 to 2012. For 2013, Elvis bookings have remained flat—roughly on pace with last year’s underwhelming numbers. One wedding planner told the paper that at least for younger clients in the market for Vegas nuptials, Elvis has left the building, so to speak: “The whole Elvisy Vegas red carpet thing is, in my opinion, going out the door,” said Carrie Gaudioso, wedding coordinator for the Mon Bel Ami chapel. “That whole era is getting older. Almost all of our older renewals want an Elvis wedding. Our younger brides do not want cheesy, flashy, Elvis Vegas. They want something nice in their budget.” Jimmi Ellis, a triple threat who performs tributes to Tom Jones and Elvis and works in Internet marketing full-time, told the Review-Journal that Google searches for “Elvis impersonator” have fallen swiftly over the past few years. “The business is not what it used to be,” he said. “The decline is very apparent.” (MORE: End of the Road for Speed Traps?) The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority could not offer any statistics testifying to Elvis interest among tourists, but noted that the Elvis-a-Rama Museum closed several years ago and the “Viva Elvis” Cirque du Soleil show was replaced last year. According to the Las Vegas Sun, “Viva Elvis” was the first show that the Cirque troupe was ever asked to replace; host MGM Resorts made the request due to poor ticket sales. … Continue reading 36 Years After Elvis Presley’s Death, Could the King’s Popularity Be Dying?