As of Sept. 30, winter bookings for November through March are up 7.4 percent in occupancy and 15.5 percent in revenue for the upcoming season compared to the same time last year, with increases appearing in the first five months of the ski season for which data is available.
However, DestiMetrics director Ralf Garrison cautions that weather and snow conditions will largely determine whether this trend continues. Predictably, last season’s snow conditions are impacting this season’s advance bookings: Rocky Mountain resorts, which fared well with snow last season, are tracking 8.9 percent higher in occupancy and 16.4 higher in revenues. Far West resorts, which experienced drought, are down 6.5 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.
“A major break in the drought or a few good early season snowstorms would be a powerful antidote for what ails [the Far West],” Garrison said.
