Page 29 - NSAA_Fall2015Journal

FIGURE 1 ESTIMATED SNOWSPORTS VISITS BY REGION, 1978/79 - 2014/15

75
70 Northeast Southeast Midwest Rocky Mountain Paci c Southwest Paci c Northwest Paci c West (Total)
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
SKIER VISITS (MILLIONS) 50.2
48.2
39.7
50.7
46.9
50.6
51.4
51.9
53.7
53.9
53.3
50.0
46.7
50.8
54.0
54.6
52.7
54.0
52.5
54.1
52.1
52.2
57.3
54.4
57.6
57.1
56.9
58.9
55.1
60.5
57.4
59.8
60.5
51.0
56.9
56.5
53.6

1978/79
1979/80
1980/81
1981/82
1982/83
1983/84
1984/85
1985/86
1986/87
1987/88
1988/89
1989/90
1990/91
1991/92
1992/93
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15

Note: Paci c West visits are segmented by sub region (Paci c Southwest and Paci c Northwest) from 1995/96 – 2013/14. Paci c
West visits are reported in aggregate total for 1978/79 – 1994/95 (Paci c Southwest and Paci c Northwest breakouts unavailable).

average), with its 22nd best season. The net number of operating resorts this season is
In longer term perspective, visits nationally in 2014-15 estimated to have held steady in the Rocky Mountains,
increased by two in the Pacific Southwest and one in the
were up 5.1 percent from a recent low of 51 million visits in Pacific Northwest, and declined by one each in the Midwest,
2011-12, and down 11.5 percent from the record high of 60.5 Southeast, and Northeast.
million visits in 2010-11.
SNOWFALL & DAYS OPEN
Visitation nationally was variable by month, although The 2014-15 season was a difficult one in terms of weather
tended to be weakest in the latter half of the season. On an and snow in many areas of the country, with conditions
overall national basis, visits were up 17 percent in October/ ranging from too much snow to not enough snow, and from
November, down 6 percent in December, up 9 percent in too cold to too warm.
January, down 12 percent in February, down 11 percent in
March, and down 13 percent in April. Visitation tracked
closely with snowfall, which was down every month except
October/November.

NUMBER OF OPERATING SKI AREAS ANOTHER INDICATOR OF THE OVERALL
Another indicator of the overall health of the industry and HEALTH OF THE INDUSTRY AND THE
the collective demand for downhill snowsports is the number COLLECTIVE DEMAND FOR DOWNHILL
of open and operating US ski resorts. The number of open
and operating US ski resorts held steady at 470 in the SNOWSPORTS IS THE NUMBER OF OPEN AND
2014-15 season, unchanged from 2013-14—an encouraging OPERATING US SKI RESORTS.
finding given the decrease in visits and challenging snow and
weather conditions.

FALL 2015 | NSAA JOURNAL | 27