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The finesT ropeway equipmenT available
Figure 6: Ticket Price, Ticket Yield, & Ticket Yield Ratio

AVERAGE TICKET YIELD RATIO Yield Ratio

Rocky Pacific Pacific
Overall Northeast Southeast Midwest Mountain Southwest Northwest
HorsesHoe resort, barrie onTario
60%
55% 54% 55%
58% 59% 57% 51%
50% 47% 47% 47% 46% 54% 45% 45% 46% 46% 47% 48% 47%
44% 44% 43% 43% 43% 44% 42% 45% 45%

40%

AVERAGE Adult Weekend Ticket Price Ticket Yield
$150 129 137 126
110 114 109 120 108 118
100 100
$100 92 80 83 87 81
76 73 74 73 77 75
69 70 67
56 58 61
$50

$43 $47 $52 $52 $34 $35 $35 $36 $40 $41 $42 $40 $24 $26 $27 $28 $48 $55 $59 $61 $55 $58 $65 $64 $33 $36 $36 $38
$0
13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’ 13’-14’ 14‘-15’ 15’-16’ 16’-17’

grew by 3.9 percent to 7,497 per reporting ski area. NSAA due to cycles of closure and re-opening of small resorts, in
has continued to emphasize the importance of begin- part as a result of local weather conditions.
ner conversion and increasing the number of people that
participate in skiing and snowboarding. While some ski Looking Ahead
areas are aggressively and creatively working on this issue, Looking to the future, ski areas were asked to identify the
it remains something that more ski areas need to make a factors that will have the biggest impact on business in the
priority to ensure the future growth of the sport. next five years. By far, the weather (typically consistent/
predictable/cold weather) and the economy continue to be
Operating Ski Areas the two most frequently cited factors.
The number of open and operating US ski areas rose to Other challenges identified include climate change,
479 in the 2016-17 season, up from 464 operating ski resort consolidation, minimum wages and other legisla-
areas last season (figure 8). The net number of operating tion, access to capital, increasing energy and insurance
ski areas this season is estimated to have increased by 11 costs, expense of capital investment, and demograph-
in the Northeast, 5 in the Midwest, and 1 in the Rocky ics. Meanwhile, opportunities cited included increased
Mountains, while decreasing by 1 each in the Southeast demand for winter recreation, growing local populations,
and Pacific Northwest. In recent seasons, the fluctuation capital investments that will improve operations, and
in the number of operating ski areas has been primarily more aggressive marketing and beginner programs.

40 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2017