“You know, every skier day was a mental health day.”
Utah continues to be one of the hottest skiing markets in North America, even in the middle of a pandemic. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Ski Utah logged in its best-ever visitation totals for a single season during the 2020-21 season. Ski resorts across the state of Utah logged in more than 5.3 million skiers days. This was in spite of various factors that nearly curtailed the season. For one, Covid-19 ran rampant in the state, leading to mass infections. On the other hand, outside of a mask mandate, Utah had some of the most lenient restrictions in the country, leading to more tourism than in other parts of the country. Secondly, snow totals before February were well below average, as the state finished with only 80% of its median snowfall totals. Lastly, resorts like Snowbird had to close earlier than usual, due to below-average snowfall and a warm and dry May. A chart detailing the visitation totals compared to prior years is below.
One of the fifty-one resorts in the United States that had their best ski season ever was Eagle Point in Beaver. A couple of its major weaknesses, its remote locations and no major hotels, became great strengths during the pandemic. The resort has numerous private condominiums, which was enticing to travels who wanted to stay remotely and not have to be in a hotel with other guests and potential pathogens. Deer Valley Ski Resort also saw its numbers go up this year as well, as more local Ikon Pass goers frequented the resort rather than the typical international travelers. With more new resorts, a growing population, and another Olympics potentially on the way, something tells me that Utah Ski Resorts will continue to rack up record numbers in the years to come.
Image Credits: Snowbird, Skimap.org, Ski Utah
