Skier Visits Flat Think Again

[catskills]

Who ever said skier visits are flat year to year doesn't live here.

Not so flat skier visits

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Who ever said skier visits are flat year to year doesn't live here.

Not so flat skier visits

Skier visits nationally have grown at a very slow pace for the last 15 years. . Yup...this past season Utah has taken over 3rd place from Vermont, Colorado had a good year last year as well but the northeast was down and CA at #2 was way down.
http://www.saminfo.com/news/article.php?tid=1680

 

[threecy]

A few things to remember:

- Skier visits != unique skiers != paid lift tickets (ie season passes)
- Things had levelled off a bit until the 2002 Olympics provided a big boost

 

[koreshot]

I took a really cursive look at the graphs but the one on Page 4 is pretty interesting.

It seems that skier visits from destination travelers have been pretty much flat for 10 or so years. I think mountains care a lot less if locals go - especially destination mountains that make their money from individual day ticket sales, food and services and accommodations. The skier visits from residents has gone up, but that is probably not where the big money is. Most of them are probably season pass holders and pack their own lunch. So if anything, they could be an expense rather than a profit.

And thats at resorts that have some of the most consistent snowfall in the world, so weather is as small of a factor as possible. I can see how destination skier visits in NE (where weather has been so tough in recent years) has been going down.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Despite the increase in Utah and CO last season skier visits were down nearly 7% nationally but has to be tempered as the 05/06 season was a record.
http://www.nsaa.org/nsaa/press/0607/nc-070507-kottke-prelim.asp

For clarification a skier visit is defined by the NSAA as "one person visiting a ski area for all or part of a day or night, and includes full- and half-day, night, complimentary, adult, child, season and other types of tickets".

The 2003/2004 season was the 3rd best season at 58.8m. The one factor that the controls the numbers year after year is snow conditions.

 

[threecy]

For clarification a skier visit is defined by the NSAA as "one person visiting a ski area for all or part of a day or night, and includes full- and half-day, night, complimentary, adult, child, season and other types of tickets".

Correct, I could be some old retired super senior with a cheap season pass who has a condo at the Canyons who skis every weekday morning for 4 months with my four super senior friends (GrumpiEST Old Men). I eat my breakfast at home while watching Regis and the young girl, ski onto the lift, take two runs, and am back home in time to see how Bob Barker is surprisingly way younger looking all of a sudden.

We count for 500 skier visits - and the Canyons gets a grand total of $545 from us - combined.

Meanwhile, when my grandson brings his family up for 2 days, they count for 8 total skier visits and the Canyons gets over $1000 from them, just in tickets/rentals/lessons.

When I was your age, $1000 could get me 50 Ford Model T's in any color I wanted, so long as it was black.

 

[PA Ridge Racer]

The State of Utah is advertising their "Greatest Snow on Earth" commercials on TV nationally. Has anyone seen the commercials...pretty awesome I must say.

 

[ctenidae]

The State of Utah is advertising their "Greatest Snow on Earth" commercials on TV nationally. Has anyone seen the commercials...pretty awesome I must say.

They still getting sued by Ringling Bors?

 

[threecy]

They still getting sued by Ringling Bors?

Since when did the Ringling Brothers own Earth?