Enter E-Commerce

Bolstered by dramatic increases in the number of Internet users, this season ski resorts are spicing up their Websites with online transactions that give customers instant, real-time confirmations on everything from a room at the inn to equipment rentals. But just how soon all of this will yield significant incremental income is anybody’s guess.

During the summer, three ski conglomerates—Vail Resorts, American Skiing Company and Booth Creek—cut deals with WorldRes of San Mateo, Calif., one of the leading providers of online reservation services for the hospitality industry. Other ski entities including Intrawest, Park City and Snowbird, were expected to follow suit.