Most cities are built because of their location on fertile lands, access to waterways, or intersections or trade routes. Not surprisingly, Las Vegas fits in none of these categories. It is a totally unnatural city in the middle of the desert. However, each year it draws millions of tourists seeking to experience the reality of various cultures and the height of entertainment, food and shopping. Las Vegas allows a visitor to take a photo next to The Statue of Liberty right before eating a reputed restaurant that might only have other locations in New York and London.
Although a Vegas tourist might be not aware of urban decay in Venice or the fact that the city itself is sinking, a gondola ride at the Venetian provides the tourist with what she would rather have: being driven by a gondolier singing an Italian song in a false accent wearing outdated garb. The tourist doesn't have to be exposed to the stinking canals, or waste in the canals, the often unimpressive reality of what Venice is today. Instead, the tourist gets an idealized Venice - in this Venice, the waters are always pristine and the gondoliers are always handsome with great voices. Why should the tourist experience an often disappointing reality, when s/he has the opportunity to see an ideal?
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