- Winter is upon us, and for many that means heading to snowy mountains for exhilarating skiing or snowboarding, followed by the always enjoyable apres-ski cocktail or hot cocoa. While Europe is having one of its warmest winters ever with many ski resorts having to close, the U.S. has had some major snowfall.
- Two of the biggest domestic players are Alterra Mountain Company, which owns famous resorts such as Deer Valley and Mammoth Mountain, and offers the Ikon Pass, as well as Vail Resorts, owner of Beaver Creek, Heavenly, and Park City (accessed through the Epic Pass). The week of Thanksgiving saw a peak, and since then it’s been a steady uphill trend for visitation since early December.
- The 2022-2023 ski season had a strong early start compared to last year with November figures outpacing 2021. There was a relative decline in December, possibly due to the once-in-a-generation bomb cyclone weather that disrupted numerous flights the last two weeks of December.
- In a recent Placer.ai blog post, we analyze the appeal of the Mountain States and how many have migrated to these markets over the last few years. With the rise of hybrid/remote work, nature lovers in those regions can have the best of both worlds, fitting in a ski run or two on breaks before heading back to check some work emails or attend virtual meetings.
- Some interesting differences arise when we look at the individual resort level, such as Mammoth and Aspen/Snowmass. Aspen recovered more quickly in 2021, but Mammoth saw a large increase the last 12 months and is almost back to 2019 figures.
- One interesting thing to note about visitors to both locations in Nov/Dec is the preponderance of Sunset Boomers. They make up over a third of visitors, followed in both cases by Young Professionals and Young Urban Singles. Aspen attracts more Upper Suburban Diverse Families and Wealthy Suburban Families. Mammoth, on the other hand, has a good proportion of Rural High Income and Educated Urbanites.
%20(1).svg)
