Image by Steve Rosset
According to the latest numbers from the National Ski Areas Association, skier visits to US ski resorts fell by 5 percent this season to just 53.6 million. It is widely believed that the lack of snowfall in California and the PNW had the largest impact on the reduced skier visits. NSAA’s annual Kottke Survey stated that snowfall was down 28 percent across the country. However, this season was still not nearly as bad as the 2011-2012 season in which the industry saw a 16 percent plummet in ski visits.
Ski resorts in California and Washington State were the hardest hit this season with a punishing 36.3 percent decline in visitation from the 2013-14 season.
Despite the below average visitation to US ski areas, destination ski resorts in Colorado actually saw increase revenue largely due to higher ticket prices, increased season pass sales, and more off mountain spending. A double-digit percentage increase in international visitation also help the bottom line.
Skier Visits
2013-14: 56.5
2014-15: 53.6