The data are drawn from approximately 290 property management companies in 19 mountain destination communities across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming.

The positive results came despite fluctuations in economic news and weather, said DestiMetrics director Ralf Garrison. “Good early season snow in many of the western mountain resorts and dramatically better snow conditions at Far West resorts helped offset the undeniable slowdown in economic growth and collateral impacts of the strong U.S. dollar and low oil prices.

“While final aggregated results were positive, there were significant fluctuations and more inconsistencies between resorts than we’ve seen in the past several years, when consistent, double-digit growth was the norm,” Garrison explained.

The cost of a vacation for inbound international visitors rose an estimated 21 to 28 percent due to currency exchange rates, which deterred many from travelling to the U.S. At the same time, the strong dollar provided an attractive exchange rate for U.S. residents who took a Canadian vacation at a significantly reduced cost from recent years.

Bookings for the upcoming summer are on record pace, too, after setting all-time highs in 2015, which was the fourth straight summer of record-setting numbers. As of April 30, reservations for arrivals from May through October are up 11.6 percent and revenues up a dramatic 18.9 percent compared to the same time last year. Gains in both categories are being reported in all six summer and shoulder season months.

A solid domestic economy, strong early bookings, and more broad-based and diverse activities at mountain destinations are top reasons for the continued growth and popularity of summer business. Resorts are just starting to roll out the first wave of fresh on-mountain attractions made possible by the Ski Area Recreation Opportunity Enhancement Act passed in 2014.