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ECONOMIC FOOTPRINT

117,000
Number of employees
(plus volunteers) at
US ski areas

7.6 million
Number of American jobs $887 billion
created by the US outdoor Amount that consumers spend
recreation industry annually on outdoor recreation
(Outdoor Industry Association) in the US 53,000 Number of employees
in the US coal industry
(Outdoor Industry Association)
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019)

OPERATIONS

Average number of days US ski areas Number of ski areas in operation Percentage of annual revenue
were open for skiing/riding (NSAA National Kottke End of Season Survey, 2017–18) attributable to summer activities
473 472 (NSAA Economic Analysis of US Ski Areas, 2017–18)
150 500
129 125
115
120 400
90 300
60 200
15.2%
30 100
0 0
1997–98 2007–08 2017–18 2008–09 2017–18
Improved snowmaking equipment and efficiencies The number of operating ski areas in the US
have allowed US ski areas to maintain a steady has held remarkably steady for the last decade.
average length of season.

Average number of season passes Cost of adult season pass Since 2014, eBike sales in the US
sold per resort (NSAA Economic Analysis of US Ski Areas, 2017–18) have exploded eightfold
$1,500
12,000 11,065 $1,280* 800%+
$1,200
10,000
$836
8,000 $900
$624
6,000
$600
4,000
1,628 $300
2,000
0 $0
1997–98 2017–18 1997–98 2017–18 1997–98
This is a reflection of the importance of capturing *If adjusted for inflation since 1997–98, in today’s (The NPD Group Retailer Survey, Dec. 2018)
return customers and a balanced pricing structure. dollars a season pass would sell for $1,280.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE

122
Number of ski areas
on USFS land

60% $37 million
Percentage of US skier Permit fees paid by ski areas to
visits on USFS land the US Forest Service, 2018

CONVENTION 2019 | NSAA JOURNAL | 23