 |
 |
 |
|
Summit County ski leaders optimistic about upcoming season |
|
Friday, October 21, 2011 07:31 |
|
Photo by Mark Fox, Summit Daily News
By JANICE KURBJUN, SUMMIT DAILY NEWS
Coming off “a season like never before,” as Breckenridge chief operating officer Pat Campbell put it, memories of snow from last year may drive increased ski and ride visits at Summit County's resorts this year.
“After a good snow year, people do get excited. It carries over into the next year,” Loveland Ski Area chief operating officer Rob Goodell said at Thursday's annual COO Breakfast at Copper Mountain. He added that he's already seeing early season sales “up and strong” this year.
Record or near-record snowfall brought unprecedented skier and rider days in 2010-11 (the National Ski Areas Association reports 60.54 million, an all-time record by 30,000 to 40,000 visits) and the associated economic impact to the resorts last season. Regardless of whether the same weather patterns come through this year, officials are expecting healthy economic return.
And all this at the end of a recession.
“How do you explain record skier visits when consumers have no confidence?” Mountain Travel Research Program owner and breakfast emcee Ralf Garrison said. “Consumers seem to be finding ways to spend money on what they really want.”
Read full story
|
