LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas is getting cleverer in the marketing department as a result of the economic slump and hitting the road to prove it.

With tourism taking a bit of a hit in Southern Nevada, the Convention and Visitors Authority is reaching out to other cities reminding people that Vegas is still an affordable vacation.

According to the bureau, spending so far this year is down from last year and the number of visitors is flat. Using data from its research department, the LVCVA plans to make some adjustments to get our local economy moving in the right direction.

In March, the group began the "Vegas Right Now" campaign, in which trips were made to select cities to remind people to keep the City of Lights on their radar when planning a quick getaway. Free show tickets were also handed out to entice people even more to travel.

Also, the city sent showgirls to Chicago, Denver, San Diego and some other cities to get people in the mood for a trip to the Strip.

While times are getting tough, LVCVA officials said that Las Vegas dealt with a similar slow down in the 90s and rebounded well.

The reason officials are attempting to create alternate ways for visitors to see Las Vegas is because the city earns $200 million annually from tourism. That money is used to help build parks, schools and roads in southern Nevada.