SAM Magazine—Banner Elk, N.C., Dec. 22, 2023—A study commissioned by the North Carolina Ski Areas Association (NCSAA) found that the state’s six operating alpine ski areas had an overall economic value of $244.3 million for the 2022-23 winter season, including visitor expenditures and ski area revenues as well as indirect and induced economic effects, such as ski area guests spending money at local businesses and lodging establishments. 

The study was conducted by RRC Associates, a consulting and market research firm based in Boulder, Colo. The report focuses on the economic value of snowsports to the state of North Carolina, inclusive of both residents and out-of-state visitors who participate in snowsports at any of the state’s ski areas. Results are based on survey responses from 3,691 visitors at four of the state’s ski areas, as well as data submitted by each ski area. 

North Carolina’s six operating ski areas include Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, Cataloochee Ski Area, Sugar Mountain Resort, Hatley Pointe Ski Resort, and Sapphire Valley Ski Area.

Zooming out, the North Carolina ski industry had a stellar winter in 2022-23 compared to the pandemic-truncated 2019-20 season. Total visits were up nearly 24 percent from 631,241 in 2019-20 to 781,013 last season. Total gross revenue from resort operations increased about 36 percent to roughly $67 million. Capital expenditures more than doubled to $16 million, and resorts employed about 38 percent more year-round staff and 31 percent more seasonal staff in 2022-23 than in 2019-20.

Details about per person spending show the largest expenditures per day were lift tickets ($48), on-mountain lodging ($36), off-mountain lodging ($23), off-mountain food and beverage ($21, double the on-mountain F&B spend), and equipment rentals ($17). The average total per person, per day spending was roughly $190, 63 percent of which was spent on-mountain. (For reference, according to 2022-23 Kottke End of Season Demographic Report, the average daily ticket price was $182 nationally and $101 in the Southeast. So, North Carolina skiers and riders appear to be getting a wealth of services for their spend.)

Total direct spending at ski areas was $148 million; indirect and induced spending totaled $96.2 million. The North Carolina ski industry’s total economic value of $244.3 million is up a strong 47.8 percent compared to 2019-20 ($165.2 million), for an average annual growth of 15.9 percent over the past three winters. 

About half of the respondents (51 percent) were in-state visitors, and 37 percent came from other southeastern states such as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. An equal share of visitors were overnight or day (38.6 percent each) and the rest were from the local area. Overnight visitors stayed an average of 3.1 nights and skied/snowboarded about two days.

Unsurprisingly, 30 percent of visitors to North Carolina ski areas were first-time/beginners, which is well above the national average of 10-15 percent, according to the report. However, the number of first-time/beginners in 2022-23 was down from 37 percent in 2019-20. 

While the report doesn’t specify the average cost of a lesson or equipment rental, the share of per person, per day spending on ski/snowboard lessons was just 2.6 percent of the total, and equipment rental accounted for 9 percent. According to prices on resort websites, the cost of rental equipment is about the same as a group lesson. Not everyone who rents equipment is a first-time/beginner, of course, but there may be a fair number of that cohort renting and not taking lessons, which may impact retention. 

As stated in the report’s conclusion, the economic value of North Carolina’s ski industry is especially important for a state that relies heavily on summer tourism to help drive its economy. 

“The winter months represent the low season in most tourism areas in the state, with the exception of those regions where skiing and snowboarding is offered,” the report said. “In other words, the ski resort industry provides economic value at a particularly important time of the year. As well, its presence allows for year-round employment opportunities for residents of these areas of the state and provides for a diversified and year-round economy.”

Download the full report here: https://www.goskinc.com/economic-impact/. 

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