The Albuquerque Journal brings us this look at the income gap and how it’s effecting skier demographics.
“DENVER – In 2010, the price of walk-up, single-day lift tickets at Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts topped $100. Aspen quickly followed suit, and ticket prices at resorts across the country have consistently increased in the years since. The trend has raised a question that has dogged the ski industry for years: Is the sport becoming unaffordable for the middle class?
Industry leaders say that even though last-minute lift tickets at some resorts now exceed $100, skiing has never been more affordable if you’re savvy about discounts.
But despite the availability of deals, a report commissioned in August by the National Ski Areas Association found that skiing in the United States has increasingly become a sport for the wealthy. The percentage of people who participate in snow sports with household incomes over $100,000 has risen over the past eight seasons from 45 percent of ski area visitors in the 2006-07 season to 56 percent of visitors in the 2013-14 season, according to the report.
Meanwhile, those with household incomes under $50,000 dropped from 30 percent of ski area visitors to 19 percent over the same period. Visitors who make between $50,000 and $99,999 remained steady over the years at about 25 percent.” – Keep Reading @ abqjournal.com