The winter sports industry says skiing vacations are still affordable for all, despite a report by the National Ski Areas Association that showed fewer middle-income families are taking up the sport.
The report said the number of skiers and snowboarders with household incomes under $50,000 dropped from 30% in the 2006-07 season to 19% last season.
During the same period, snow sports participants with incomes over $100,000 increased from 45% to 56%, the report says.
"Snow sports participants continue to skew significantly more affluent than the general U.S. population," the report said.
The report surveyed skiers and snowboarders at 87 US resorts which accounted for 31.9 million of the 56.5 million ski visits nationwide.
Report author David Becher said the dip in lower income skiers may have been down to the recession.
"Now that the economy is improving, we might see lower-income segments in the population having more confidence," he said.
NSAA President Michael Berry said: "The trend certainly over the past decade has been to make the price lower."
The CEO of San Francisco-based Liftopia, an online ski pass marketplace, said buying early and for multiple days often result in cheaper rates.
"If customers buy in advance, they will be rewarded by doing so. You wouldn’t wait until the last minute to buy an airline ticket," said Evan Reece.
Reece also urged first-time skiers to try out the sport closer to home to save money.
"To give skiing a try, you don’t need to book a weeklong vacation to Colorado from New York. There are a lot of local ski areas where you can learn," he said.
"People will be surprised to find what is in their backyard. The trendy spots are awesome for a great reason but there are some areas that will surprise you."
