Vermont Ski Areas Record 4 Million Skier Visits in 2008-09

[Greg]

http://news.alpinezone.com/57027/

 

[thetrailboss]

Just read that. I still think that if the economy stays as it is, then this season will be the real test because many folks already bought season passes for 2008-2009 before the sh^& hit the fan.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

For some reason I thought the Vermont ski areas are doing well because less people are travelling out west..and the uber cheap gas of last season helped..

 

[billski]

For some reason I thought the Vermont ski areas are doing well because less people are travelling out west..and the uber cheap gas of last season helped..

You're right. The "close to home effect" was significant this year. The article states as much, "With the tight economy, skiers and riders stayed closer to home and Vermont's winter tourism economy benefited from our day's-drive proximity to 80 million people"

I am concerned that we are going to see upward pressure on day tickets. We are already seeing it in NH with the dropping of group bulk ticket sales and price increases.

What are you season pass holders seeing in terms of price increases for 09-10?

The northeast ski areas seem to be self-assured after the good season in 08 09 and the prospects for continued economic slump in 09 10. It's giving them the confidence to increase prices and discount less.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

What are you season pass holders seeing in terms of price increases for 09-10?

.

I know Blue raised their season pass prices about 4% which is pretty standard but offered some good early bird rates if purchased back in March..

Places like Blue mountain and Wachusett really do well in a bad economy..because not only will some skiers not travel out west but they don't travel to NY/New England either so the only skiing they do is here in PA..

 

[thetrailboss]

Pass prices are about the same if not lower; I am referring to the fact that many people lost their jobs or have had their income reduced, so season passes probably are being cut out of household budgets. Or, as some suggest, folks are buying passes to local mountains but are cutting trips out west or to Europe.

 

[billski]

I suspect we'll get a read on how well pass sales are doing if resorts extend their pass deadline dates.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

For some reason I thought the Vermont ski areas are doing well because less people are travelling out west..and the uber cheap gas of last season helped..

Compared to how the western resorts this past season did, the NE resorts DID do well. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[deadheadskier]

Ragged's early bird price went up from $299 to $329, which is what I'll be getting. I'm somewhat cutting back expense wise next season by going the pass route. The ski club route worked for me last year, but my main reasoning and point of savings by going the Ragged route is that it's the close decent size hill to home, so I'll save time and considerable gas money by doing the majority of my skiing there.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Ragged's early bird price went up from $299 to $329, which is what I'll be getting. I'm somewhat cutting back expense wise next season by going the pass route. The ski club route worked for me last year, but my main reasoning and point of savings by going the Ragged route is that it's the close decent size hill to home, so I'll save time and considerable gas money by doing the majority of my skiing there.

It's nice not having to go to the ticket window each time..and also seeing/skiing with the same crew..so maybe more people will purchase season passes if resorts keep the price low enough that the break even is less that about 10 days..hardly anybody would but 10 full priced lift tickets to a single resort but charging that amount or hopefully less would bring more people to the mountain..:idea:It worked for the resorts in Colorado wher:idea:e th:idea:where the:idea: the break even is 3-4 days at some resorts..even though alot of those people wouldn't ordinarily buy 3-4 lift tickets..

The trend with last minute deals offered by the resorts is great..Stowe and Killington made skiing alot more affordable to many with their various internet deals..

 

[2knees]

It's nice not having to go to the ticket window each time...

Is this the same reason you have the season pass to Hometown Buffet?


oink oink little piggy.

 

[billski]

Sure gets cranky around here without snow. Noticed the same think at SkiVT-L...

 

[billski]

Stowe Reporter:


Tourism numbers surprisingly good




By Jesse Roman

Published: Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:11 PM EDT

How badly has the economic downturn hurt Stowe’s tourist business?

Not so badly.

In fact, the Stowe tourist business is having one of its better years in recent memory.

Fiscal year 2009, which ends June 30, is shaping up to be the second-best sales year for hotel rooms, meals and alcohol since the town government began tracking sales in 2003.

From July 2008 to February 2009 — the most recent month for which statistics are available — sales of hotel rooms, meals and alcohol exceed every recent year except fiscal 2008, which ended last June 30.

Hotels, restaurants and bars had $42.3 million in sales from July through February, just 3.7 percent off last year’s record-setting pace for that time period.

For all of the last fiscal year, sales of rooms, meals and alcohol were $57.4 million.

At the pace through February, sales this year would reach $55.3 million, off 3.7 percent from fiscal 2008, but 5 percent more than in 2007, which was the height of the housing bubble.

“We are not immune from the national economy, but I think we do have one huge advantage,” said Ed Stahl, executive director of the Stowe Area Association. “We live within a drive market of 80 million potential customers, which is a huge advantage and helps us weather the storm.”

Since 2003, sales of rooms, meals and alcohol in Stowe have increased an average of about 4 percent per year. In 2008, sales jumped more than 9 percent from the year before.

Business leaders widely agree fiscal 2008 was a banner year for business because of exceptional ski conditions throughout the winter.

Stahl and others say snow is perhaps the most important factor when predicting sales in Stowe. This year, the snow was up and down, and the numbers seem to bear that out.

“Last year, we were skiing two weeks before Thanksgiving; this year we didn’t have much snow until mid-December,” Stahl said. “We had a lot of snow in January, but the big vacation week in February did not pan out well. It was rainy.”

The rough December and February — it either rained or was bitterly cold during Christmas, New Year’s and Presidents’ Week — account for virtually all of the discrepancy between this and last year’s sales totals in Stowe.

Hotels, restaurants and bars made a combined $14.3 million less this past December and February than they did the prior year. The difference between sales in fiscal 2008 and 2009 to date is $15.6 million.

Stahl expects the difference in sales between this ski season and last to increase when the March and April numbers are tallied, because the ski season puttered towards the end.

“Winter for us usually lasts until mid-April, but there were no storms in March, which is usually a big snow month, and it got warmer in drive markets like Massachusetts and Connecticut,” Stahl said. “People stopped thinking about skiing a lot earlier this year.”

But, Stahl admits the situation in Stowe this winter could have been much worse than it was. At a time when pundits and Wall Street were tearing their hair out, Stowe businesses had a better winter than they had in five of the last six years.

“Compared to a lot of areas, we have a lot to be grateful for,” Stahl said.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Hmmmmm...the Stowe article is just based on room and meals tax revenue for not even the whole season. Sure it increased with the opening of the new hotel which added alot of lodging and meals revenue to the pot compared to last year.

What about the L&M tax revenue and the occupancy rate for the whole season compared to last year? What about skier visits versus last year?

An article which just looks at the L&M tax revenue for half the season doesn' tell much about skier visits or even the occupancy rates this past ski season versus last year. Plus the numbers from July 08 to Feb 09(used in the article) is more about the summer and fall seasons than the ski season. As Tin would say.....it's weak sauce.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Alot of folks in Vermont are waiting for the numbers from Utah. Recently Utah sqeezed past Vermont on skier visits. Colorado recently announced a 7% drop versus last year I believe represents about 500,000 skier visits down. Vermont had a 5.5% decrease representing about 230,00 skier visits down. Yup Vermont did better or had better negative numbers than Colorado but it doesn't seem that much of a diference to me. IMHO with the same snowfall as the past season I feel next season will be busier. Call me the optomist I guess.

 

[deadheadskier]

Hmmmmm...the Stowe article is just based on room and meals tax revenue for not even the whole season. Sure it increased with the opening of the new hotel which added alot of lodging and meals revenue to the pot compared to last year.

What about the L&M tax revenue and the occupancy rate for the whole season compared to last year? What about skier visits versus last year?

An article which just looks at the L&M tax revenue for half the season doesn' tell much about skier visits or even the occupancy rates this past ski season versus last year. Plus the numbers from July 08 to Feb 09(used in the article) is more about the summer and fall seasons than the ski season. As Tin would say.....it's weak sauce.

Sand bagged a little? Maybe. Week Sauce? Hardly. Even with the new on mountain development, the in town business in Stowe remains the barometer of the local economy. The only place in the East where off hill revenue dominates like Stowe is Lake Placid. So, there's very few ways to measure that outside of direct revpar reports from the hotels combined with L&M tax. Skier visits in Stowe would be a much smaller barometer and when they're reported, I'm sure they will equally demonstrate a modest decrease in revenue from 08, but still pretty good.

As for the sample period, it's 100% a great sample range. For all intents and purposes, the ski season ends March 1st. The sample size is equally about the Winter season as the Summer and Fall. Considering all that's happened, I think it's important to look at things from the July through February period. It accounts for last summer when gas was $4 a gallon, the fall when the shit hit the fan and the economy ground to a halt in part started by the parent company of the mountain, thus scaring local business and then it accounts for the prime winter season when the stock market said everyone's 401K just took a ten year retreat.

Most importantly is that the majority of the direct cash register reports I've gotten from all the people I know in town has been, "All things considered, we're holding our own. We're down, but it could have been a lot worse. "

I guess overall that I applaud the article and really have a hard time shooting holes in it.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Is this the same reason you have the season pass to Hometown Buffet?


oink oink little piggy.

Easy Tiger, I'm down 11 pounds since ski season and if they had a CiCis pizza buffet at Stowe for $5.99..I'd hit dat!!!!

The convenience of a season pass is great and you guys in southern New England are lucky to be within daytrip range of Vermont..

The fact that this past winter was cold and snowy was also good..only one or two bad thaws..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Sure gets cranky around here without snow. Noticed the same think at SkiVT-L...

I'll have to check the archives!!!!

 

[deadheadskier]

Easy Tiger, I'm down 11 pounds since ski season and if they had a CiCis pizza buffet at Stowe for $5.99..I'd hit dat!!!!

The convenience of a season pass is great and you guys in southern New England are lucky to be within daytrip range of Vermont..

The fact that this past winter was cold and snowy was also good..only one or two bad thaws..

Um, winter ended the earliest I've ever seen, essentially March 1st. It was a decent season, but the snow totals would mislead someone to thinking it was epic, when in reality I'd call it just a bit above average.

 

[Geoff]

The only place in the East where off hill revenue dominates like Stowe is Lake Placid.

Not really. The spending per person doesn't vary all that much from resort to resort in the drive-to market. The tourons pay for lodging. The tourons pay for restaurant food. The tourons drink in the bar. The tourons buy things in the retail shops. Ludlow and Killington collect more sales tax than Stowe since they get a crap load more people in town. Ditto Lincoln, NH. Ditto Bethel/Newry, ME. Stowe likes to cultivate their "the wealthy ski here" image but it has an awful lot of skier visits from day trippers from Chittenden County who rarely spend much and all those cheap college passes who by definition don't spend anything.

I think total sales/lodging/meals tax revenue is a better barometer than clamoring for skier visit numbers. In the grand scheme of things, it's sales that matter, not bodies through the turnstyle. You'd also like to see the split between sales at the resort and sales from the rest of the businesses in town.