Gains in revenue are being attributed to strong room rates that are in effect through much of the winter. Although aggregated figures for November through April revealed that occupancy for the season is up only 1.6 percent, revenues for the season are up a robust 10.1 percent. The DestiMetrics report also noted that the booking pace during December tapered off with bookings for arrivals in December down 9.4 percent and for January down 7 percent.

DestiMetrics director Ralf Garrison explained that a mild autumn contributed to a slow start for bookings, and “the overall booking pace for the winter is really a mixed bag at this point and warrants attention. Rates have been rising faster than occupancies for some time, creating overall higher revenues for lodging properties, but not many more visitors,” he added.

The report also added that while abundant snowfall blanketed most resorts in the Far West and Rocky Mountain regions beginning in mid December, it might have arrived too late to affect holiday bookings. In some cases, the snow and windy weather actually delayed and disrupted holiday destination visitors.