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particularly important in that region. Somewhat smaller                  THE MOST POPULAR ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY
shares of season pass visits are seen in the Rocky Mountains                 SKI AREAS INCLUDE NONSNOWSPORTS
(40.2 percent), Pacific Southwest (38.8 percent), Northeast
(37.3 percent), and Midwest (32.8 percent). The Southeast                  CHAIRLIFT RIDES, MOUNTAIN BIKING, ZIP
region has a much smaller share of visits from season                    LINE/CANOPY TOURS, DISC GOLF, AND GOLF.
passholders (25.7 percent).
                                                                  Certain amenities are more prevalent in some regions
NON-SNOWSPORTS ACTIVITIES                                     than others, at least within the respondent group. Resorts
In a revised question about non-snowsports amenities, the     in the Northeast are somewhat more likely than resorts in
most popular activities offered by ski areas includes non-    other regions to offer scenic chairlift rides (76 percent), zip
snowsports chairlift rides (which 55 percent of ski areas     lines/canopy tours (49 percent), ropes/challenge courses
offer), mountain biking (42 percent), zip line/canopy tours   (27 percent), and Euro bungee (24 percent). Resorts in
(28 percent), disc golf (26 percent), and golf (21 percent).  the Southeast are more likely than average to offer golf (38
Somewhat lower shares offer a climbing wall (19 percent),     percent) and waterpark/water features (14 percent). Rocky
ropes/challenge course (14 percent), Euro bungee (13          Mountain resorts are somewhat more likely to offer mountain
percent), mountain coaster/alpine slide (13 percent), and     biking (68 percent), disc golf (34 percent), a climbing wall (29
waterpark or water features (7 percent).                      percent), and mountain coaster/alpine slide (18 percent).

    Only 30 percent of responding resorts nationally do not       Measuring the number of visits that these various non-
offer any of the identified non-snowsports activities; this   snowsports activities generate is also of high interest in
percentage is highest in the Pacific Northwest (62 percent),  the industry. Among resorts offering activities in summer,
followed by the Midwest (55 percent), Pacific Southwest       water park/water feature usage is particularly high, with
(33 percent), Southeast (19 percent), Rocky Mountains
(18 percent), and Northeast (14 percent).

    Geise

Engineering

                Handle Tow Lifts

Magic CarpetĀ®

                                  TABLE 2 SKI INDUSTRY CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

                                                              2013/14  2014/15           2015/16 (PROJECTED)
                                                                                                   $30,705,744
                                  NEW/UPGRADED LIFTS          $60,056,607 $46,200,487              $96,494,558
                                                                                                   $86,805,000
   www.sgeise.com                 OTHER ON-MOUNTAIN           $173,244,659 $172,628,388              $9,062,880
     570-490-2818
                                  REAL ESTATE                 $21,028,050 $25,971,555             $223,068,182
30 | NSAA JOURNAL | FALL 2015
                                  SUMMER/FALL SPECIFIC        $17,432,951 $22,572,786

                                  TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES $271,762,267 $267,373,216
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