SAM Magazine—Denver, May 21, 2019—Snow brings people, and this winter’s abundant snowfall resulted in a new all-time aggregated record for occupancy, rate, and revenue among participating destination mountain resorts in six western states. For the full winter—November through April—actual occupancy was up 5.6 percent compared to the previous season, and was up in all six months. Average daily rate (ADR) eked out an aggregated 0.7 percent increase, resulting in a solid 6.5 percent gain in seasonal revenues—new all-time records in all three categories.The Village at Snowmass

Results were reported in Inntopia’s DestiMetrics monthly Market Briefing, which includes data derived from a sample of about 290 property management companies in 18 mountain destination communities, representing approximately 30,000 rooms across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho.

“Conditions throughout the season and across the country were ideal for record-setting,” said Tom Foley, senior vice president of business operations and analytics for Inntopia. “A strong, although occasionally erratic financial marketplace supported skiers and riders wanting to take full advantage of abundant snowfall throughout the season, and to spend more liberally than in past seasons.”

While the month of April was relatively flat year-over-year—actual occupancy rose 2.6 percent, but ADR was down 2.7 percent for a 0.2 percent increase in revenues for the month—the continued snowfall in much of the West inspired skiers and riders to book last-minute trips: bookings made in April for arrivals during April were up a whopping 19.4 percent compared to last year.

Now, on to summer bookings for arrivals in May through October. As of April 30, occupancy for the six-month summer period is down only one percent compared to last year at this time, with declines reported in four of the six months. For that same time period, though, ADR is up 2.5 percent, resulting in a 1.7 percent increase in revenue. Bookings made in April for arrivals in the months of April through September were up 3.2 percent.

“The mountain travel industry has much to cheer about this winter, as most destinations had an excellent season,” Foley said. “The season started out a bit tentatively due to the ‘snow hangover’ from the previous season and some awkward timing of school holidays. But many properties adapted by lowering December rates to attract visitors, and once excellent slope conditions were clearly established, the season just moved from strength to strength.”

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Swanson Photography