“After several seasons of increasing summer strength … we are confident these increases have become a trend,” said Ralf Garrison, director of MTRiP. “This is particularly gratifying given the volatility in leisure travel over the past several years, and a lack of any particularly encouraging news on the economic front.”

August was continuing the trend, with reservations up 7.1 percent compared to August 2011. This will be the fourth consecutive increase in monthly year-over-year occupancy.

“Some mountain destinations have fully recovered beyond pre-recession levels,” observed Garrison. “Unusually hot temperatures may well have helped lure visitors to the cooler mountain settings, but it appears that they also appreciate the lively summer vibe in mountain resorts, and that suggests to us that mountain summers may have come of age independently of their winter foundation.”