As financial retrospectives from the past winter are slowly released, reports indicate that Colorado won the lion’s share of skier spending in the West.
This year’s record setting spending is being viewed as a tidal mark, signaling the end of the recession for Colorado ski resorts that began in 2008. The previous sales record, set in the 2007/2008 season, was the final banner year for spending at Colorado ski areas and after this ski season—it seems as though the tide is coming back in.
Of the seven ski communities surveyed, which include Steamboat, Aspen, Crested Butte, Telluride, Breckenridge, Vail, and Winter Park, all are reporting record sales tax numbers for the 2014/2015 ski season.
These numbers stand in stark contrast with the national trend, which according to the Denver Post saw a 5% decline in skier visits nationally compared to the year before. Although snowfall favored parts of Colorado, specifically the front-range, it was by no means a banner snowfall year and the sales numbers speak directly to the ability of Colorado resorts to market a product to destination customers that is consistent from year to year.