Skier visits at CO's 25 resorts dropped 5.29% last
season over the previous season, the "largest annual decline
in skier visits" since '80-81, according to Penny Parker of
the DENVER POST. CO Ski Country USA said that skier visits
for the season totaled 11.35 million, a drop of 633,455 from
'97-98. A skier visit represents one lift ticket sold or
given away for all or part of one day. Average snowfall
decreased 11% this past season from '97-98. Meanwhile, CO
Ski Country CEO John Frew said that "most disturbing" in the
season's numbers was the 7% drop in domestic destination
visits -- skiers and snowboarders from out of state. During
the '97-98 season, that market dropped 2%. Frew: "The
domestic destination market has been slipping for four
years. Our conclusion is that this is a trend. We're
losing business to Utah, Lake Tahoe and Canada." CO Ski
Country has commissioned Canadian market research firm
Longwoods Int'l to conduct a study of skiers and
snowboarders ages 25-40, the "market" that CO "seems to be
losing" (DENVER POST, 6/15). Int'l visits were also down
7%, and industry leaders blamed "poor snowfall," Canada's
"cheap dollar," and airline labor disputes. Ski Country
will raise $1M from its 25 resorts to launch a three-year
marketing campaign (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 6/15).
