Salt Lake City, UT (Wednesday, May 21, 2003) - The Ski Salt Lake Super Pass ended its inaugural season with sales that tripled similar programs in 2001 and 2002. The $40 interchangeable passes, good at Alta Ski Area, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort, and Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort were used by more than 32,000 skiers during the 2003 season. The pass is available to visitors through ski travel wholesale companies and through Salt Lake area hotels and lodges.

"It's great to see the ski community come together on a program that actually works," said Eric Thompson, director of winter sports at the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The Super Pass is more convenient for skiers, hoteliers, and wholesalers, and it brings more skiers to some of the world's best slopes."

The new pass replaced the Cottonwood Resorts marketing program the bureau experimented with before the Games. "We wanted to capitalize on the Salt Lake brand after the Olympics," Thompson said. "Destination skiers equate Salt Lake with the Rocky Mountains in ways we could only dream of before the Games, and the giant increase in pass sales this year is proof positive that our message is being heard."

In 2001 the bureau sold 12,000 Cottonwood Resort passes. During the 2002 season, when Salt Lake hosted the Olympics, the bureau sold only 7,800 passes.

Sales of the ski voucher in 2003 were up 136 percent over 2002 sales, 33 percent over 2001 sales, and 54 percent over 2000 sales to wholesalers who sell packaged ski vacations. Total voucher sales last season were up 371 percent over 2002, 167 percent over 2001, and 208 percent over 2000.

Thompson admitted that even with record sales, the Ski Salt Lake pass sales accounted for less than one percent of Utah's total skier days, but expressed confidence that the program is helping to bring more destination skiers to Utah. "With a jump this big, we know there is lots of room to grow," he said. "Our goal is to bring new skiers to the state and not cannibalize existing skier days. This program, combining the strengths of Salt Lake's name recognition with the Rocky Mountains' finest skiing, has enormous potential for future growth."

"Not only is the Ski Salt Lake Super Pass a tremendous value, it also adds to the convenience of the Utah ski and snowboard experience," said Snowbird spokesman Dave Fields.

"In terms of convenience, it's already hard to top Salt Lake's access. But this Super Pass makes it even easier for destination skiers to choose Salt Lake for their next vacation," Thompson said. Travelers on either coast can take early flights and be on the slopes of the Ski Salt Lake resorts the same day. "The four Ski Salt Lake resorts are a quick 40 minute drive from the Salt Lake airport and downtown," Thompson said. "We typically get more snow than any other resorts in Utah, Colorado, California, or British Columbia, and the Super Pass makes it extremely easy to plan a trip to Salt Lake."

The bureau already has plans to expand the program next winter. "We already have several new partners including Internet travel companies and local travel wholesalers who will be developing ski packages," Thompson said. "Their support lets us leverage our efforts and the momentum we've gained this season. We have great expectations for the Ski Salt Lake program in 2004."

For the first time in the history of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization will develop retail ski packages that the organization will sell directly to consumers. "In the past we have relied on wholesalers or individuals to design their own packages. But by partnering with a local travel wholesaler, the bureau will be able to offer air-inclusive packages at extremely competitive rates," Thompson said. "This is a first for us."

"The things that actually make skiers and snowboarders want to come to Salt Lake haven't changed. We will always offer some of the world's greatest skiing less than an hour from a metropolitan city center and international airport," Thompson said. "Our big push for 2004 is packaging the Ski Salt Lake experience in a way that makes the most sense for consumers."