Photo credit: Park City Mountain.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Dec.

Photo credit: Park City Mountain.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Dec. 23, 2015—Despite prolific snowfall since the beginning of November at western resorts, the most recent Mountain Market Briefing by DestiMetrics—a company that tracks resort performance in mountain destinations—found that early booking patterns are not as strong or consistent year-over-year as they have been over the last three years.

As of Nov. 30, aggregated on-the-books occupancy and reservations among 19 participating western mountain resort destinations for November through April are up a scant 0.7 percent, with related revenues up 3 percent, compared to the same time last year—a marked softening from the double-digit increases seen in recent years.

November results are currently showing the greatest strength, with actual occupancy up 10.7 percent and revenues up 15.4 percent in comparison to November 2014. That momentum carried into December, with reservations for December up 4.4 percent and revenues up 8.3 percent. But the data is showing some declines for the days immediately surrounding the Christmas Day weekend. Post-December, there is a noticeable slowdown in bookings, with January currently down 1.1 percent and February down 2.2 percent compared to last year.

“With one of the strongest Novembers we've ever reported, and the reality of El Niño starting to deliver at most of our participating western destinations, anticipated bookings into December and the peak months of January and February should be showing strength,” said Ralf Garrison, director of DestiMetrics. “Instead, the data is showing softness and several anomalies and patterns that are inconsistent with recent history, leaving some of our resorts scratching their heads.”

There are some big-picture factors that could be contributing to this situation. “A number of variables could be influencing these anomalies,” said Garrison. “Topping the list is recent economic volatility, which tends to undermine consumer confidence and delay early season booking patterns.”

On the bright side, he added, “Perhaps the most interesting development on a regional basis is the new life that resorts in the Far West region are enjoying with the help of Mother Nature.”

One other early-season note: “The newly combined Park City Resort complex could provide stiffer competition to the Rocky Mountain destinations that have traditionally been the strongest segment of the industry,” Garrison said.

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