Colorado’s ski resort industry set a record for skier visits with 12.6 million for the 2013/14 ski season, according to estimates from Colorado Ski Country USA. The organization estimates ski visits were up more than 10 percent compared to last season and more than 8 percent compared to the five-year-average.
Colorado resorts also outperformed the ski industry nationally, which saw the Pacific regions heavily impacted by drought. Colorado resorts also bested the growth rate of 6.4 percent in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. where snow conditions were more comparably favorable.
CSCUSA’s 21 member resorts hosted an estimated 7.1 million skier visits during the 2013/14 ski season. Abundant early season snowfall and ideal snowmaking conditions in the fall prompted an Oct. 13, 2013 opening for Colorado’s ski season. As snowfall continued, some resorts opened earlier than planned and opened more terrain earlier than usual, said CSCUSA. Snowfall continued well into spring and bolstered Easter visitation despite the unfavorable late calendar date of the holiday. Healthy conditions allowed many resorts to extend their season or add additional weekends to their operating schedule.
