Unsurprisingly, skiing is a pivotal part of Utah’s tourism industry. This week, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released a study that detailed the ski industry’s impact on Utah’s economy during the historic 2022-23 season.
The study found that tourists from out of state and worldwide brought in $1.94 billion during the record-breaking 2022-23 season. This helped create $197.9 million in state and local tax revenue, and the ski industry contributed 25,980 direct jobs to the State of Utah.
Visitation is a notable stat from the fact sheet. During the 2003-04 season, skier visits in the Beehive State only totaled 3.4 million people. During the 2022-23 season, they saw 7.1 million, their largest ever. The second-highest total was the 2021-22 season, which saw 5.8 million visits. This is more than double what they saw during the 03-04 season. This total was helped by the mammoth amount of snowfall that accumulated that season, but visitation has gradually increased over the years due to various factors.
Nathan Rafferty, the President & CEO of Ski Utah, said the following about the study to KSL News:
“These 2022-23 ski season statistics show that skiing, snowboarding, and tourism in Utah continue to be vital to the health of the state’s economy and benefit residents by providing fun ways to recreate outside, excellent jobs, and ample tax dollars from visitors that are used for community projects. These numbers reflect the hard work our Utah ski resorts invest in providing fun, positive experiences for visitors and residents alike to look upon fondly.”
The other interesting part of the study was discovering where these skiers and riders are from. Utah residents unsurprisingly take up a large portion with 44% of skier visits. Utahn’s resentment of Californians is somewhat justified, as they’re the biggest group of out-of-state tourists. Other large segments included tourists from Florida, New York, Texas, and Colorado. The number of international tourists has room for improvement, as only 2% of skier visits come from outside the United States. This could be helped out in future seasons by the continued growth of the Salt Lake City International Airport.
Click here to read the full fact sheet from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. A video report of the study from KSL News is below.
Image Credits: Ian Wood, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, KSL News
