SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, June 17, 2009-The Utah ski and snowboard industry closed the 2008-09 winter season with a total of 3,972,984 skier days, down 6.5 percent from the previous year's record total of 4,249,190.

The showing for Utah was typical for the Rocky Mountain region, according to NSAA's national tally. The region as a whole experienced a 7.2 percent decline down to 19.8 million visits from 21.3 million visits during the 2007-08 winter season.

As has been the case in other parts of the country, resorts near large metropolitan markets seemed to weather the economy's effects better than resorts which primarily attract destination visitors. Many Utah resorts saw increases in season pass sales. Destination visitors however, booked vacations with much shorter lead times, indicating they were more cautious with discretionary spending.

"Utah's ski industry is pleased with its performance during the 2008-09 winter season," said Ski Utah president Nathan Rafferty. "Skiers and snowboarders possess an incredible fervor for the sport and are committed to annual participation. Our industry is optimistic about the future and looks forward to many great years to come."

Although the 2008-09 season broke a string of five consecutive years of record visitation in Utah, it was still the state's fourth-best season.

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