A total of 3,972,984 skier days made business during the 2008-09 ski season busier than any in Utah prior to 2005. The 2008-09 winter breaks a string of five consecutive record ski seasons in Utah, and in fact nine of the busiest ski seasons in the state's history have occurred within the past decade. A skier day is generated by one person visiting a ski area for all or any part of a day or night for the purpose of skiing.
Nationally, total skier visits were down 5.5 percent to just over 57 million skier days from the previous year’s all time record of 60.1 million skier days, according to a preliminary survey conducted by RRC Associates for the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). The survey also suggested that the Rocky Mountain Range (Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.M., Utah and Wyo.) experienced a 7.2 percent decline down to 19.8 million visits from 21.3 million visits during the 2007-08 winter season. The region’s decline could be attributed to a strong and early snow season on the East Coast, causing many snow riders to choose resorts closer to home in an effort to cut back on travel expenses.
Resorts near large metropolitan markets seemed to weather the economy’s effects better than resorts which primarily attract destination visitors. Many Utah resorts noticed a similar trend as season pass sales increased almost across the board. Destination visitors however, booked vacations with much shorter lead times indicating consumers were more cautious with discretionary spending and making sure they secured the “best bang” available for their buck.
Although some resorts were able to open earlier than expected (Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort opened Nov. 7, the second earliest opening in the resort’s 38-year history), the majority of the state’s ski resorts got off to a later than normal start. It was only a matter of time, however, before Mother Nature began providing a consistent abundance of what Ski Utah coins "The Greatest Snow on Earth". Monthly snowfall exceeded 100 inches for five out of six months at many Utah ski resorts – November through April – totaling nearly 700 inches in some locales.
“Despite the global economy, Utah’s ski industry is pleased with its performance during the 2008-09 winter season,” said Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty. “Skiers and snowboarders possess an incredible fervor for the sport and are committed to annual participation. Our industry is optimistic about the future and looks forward to many great years to come.”
