Page 24 - Early Winter 2014

2013-14 DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY highlights The NSAA National Demographic Study is the industry’s benchmark report on the demographics, “skiographics,” and trip characteristics of skiers and snowboarders. The 2013-14 edition was based on 125,832 intercept surveys of skiers and riders conducted at 87 resorts throughout the country. Here is a look at some of the highlights of the study. By DAVID BECHER, RRC Associates A DEMOGRAPHIC INFLECTION POINT? For many years, the NSAA Demographic Study has docu- in the Kottke End of Season Survey, notwithstanding mented the evolution of skiers and riders to an older, more ongoing increases in the proportion of adult visitors who skilled, and more experienced profile. These patterns— have children at home per the Demographic Survey). which were consistent with underlying population dynamics While the trends are thus complex, many of the data and growth in season pass usage—likely contributed to the points collectively suggest a potential inflection point strong visitation gains that resorts achieved over the past 14 IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE PARTICIPANT PROlLE !S THE "ABY seasons, particularly as snowsports increasingly became a Boomers continue to drop out and become a diminishing three-generation activity. presence, and as season pass growth slows or plateaus, new However, there are signs that this dynamic may have visitation dynamics may increasingly come to the fore. potentially run its course. Based on trends over the past two These trends may potentially foreshadow the direction the to three seasons, there are indications that many of these snowsports visitor profile will take in the “post-Boomer” patterns may have plateaued and potentially reversed course, ERA )T REMAINS TO BE SEEN EXACTLY HOW THESE SHIFTS WILL PLAY and that a modest shift to a slightly less experienced and avid OUT AND THE INDUSTRY S -ODEL FOR 'ROWTH EFFORTS REMAIN visitor profile may be under way. Several indicators point to an important variable in shaping these trends. Nonetheless, this trend, including: the results do support the axiom that “no trend continues s ! PLATEAU IN VISITOR ABILITY AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF INCREAS- indefinitely,” as the visitor profile increasingly appears to be ing skill levels). shifting in a different direction from the prior several years. s ! PLATEAU IN SEASON PASS USAGE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF growth). s ! SLIGHT SLOWING OF THE VISITOR AGING TREND ALTHOUGH THIS visitor profile is continuing to edge older). s /NGOING DECREASES IN AVERAGE DAYS OF PARTICIPATION per season. s 3LIGHT DECREASES IN SKIERS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SKIING ALTHOUGH SNOWBOARDERS EXPERIENCE IN BOARDING CONTIN- ues to rise). s )NCREASES IN lRST TIME VISITATION TO THE RESORT WHERE interviewed. s !N INCREASE IN VISITORS WHO HAD NOT PARTICIPATED IN snowsports the prior season. There are some contrary patterns to the “less experienced” theme, most notably ongoing decreases in the proportion OF VISITORS WHO ARE CHILDREN PER RESORT OPERATOR ESTIMATES 22 | NSAA Journal | EARLY WINTER 2014 www. n saa. org NSAA Early Winter 2014 prepressed v5b.indd 22 10/29/14 6:07 PM