An indication the still struggling US economy is finding firmer grounding: Ski bookings are ahead of last year.
Vail Resorts Inc.’s season pass sales, for example, rose 13 percent last month.
“This year the economy is still struggling but there is more confidence that it’s not getting dramatically worse,” Robert Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts, said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
“Resort operators are forecasting increases in bookings this season after the recession kept some snow lovers home last year,” Bloomberg said.
Lodging and slopes close to metropolitan areas such as New York, Denver and Los Angeles stand to benefit the most as residents stay closer to home, said Ralf Garrison, an analyst with the Denver-based Mountain Travel Research Program.
Bookings at ski resorts made in August for all future arrivals were up 2 percent year over year, Garrison said.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the third- largest U.S. lodging company, is also reporting an improvement at its ski resorts from last year, said K.C. Kavanagh, a company spokeswoman.
“We are seeing that travelers who did not ski last year are not willing to forego their trips again this year,” she said. “People are anxious to get back on the slopes.”
By David Wilkening
