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Making a Cultural Connection
with Snowsports in the US

BY JULES OLDER

Steady growth of the Asian-American population combined with a huge uptick in snowsports
participation in China is adding up to a big growth opportunity for US ski industry. Is your resort
connecting with this promising demographic?
T he US has long been regarded as the ultimate melt- India, another Asian country, offers heliskiing on some of

ing pot—a colorful assimilation of races, religions, and
the world’s highest skiable peaks.
cultures. As the number of people in different ethnic
groups has grown steadily over time, the Asian demographic has All of this points to an opportunity for US ski areas to
emerged as tremendous growth opportunity for the US ski indus- leverage not only the growth of the Asian-American popula-
try. Consider these facts: tion but also this ethnic group’s increasing interest in snow-
1. There are roughly 20 million Asian Americans in the US. sports on an international scale. How can resorts attract
2. They are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. these fast-growing groups to the most wonderful sport on
3. They can afford to ski. The median annual income of the planet? What can you do to ensure they discover it on
households headed by Asian Americans is $73,000. your slopes?
(Among all US households, it’s $53,600.) Some resorts have a clear geographic advantage. If your
mountain is in the West, you are closer to larger concen-
And, as for the potential to attract Asian skiers/riders from other trations of Asian Americans, and in California, you have
parts of the world, think about this: an even bigger advantage: Nearly half of American Asians
1. Coming after the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, the live in the West, and nearly a third live in California. But,
2022 Winter Games will be held in China—elevating, once plenty also live in New Jersey, Massachusetts, along the East
more, a global connection between Asia and snowsports. Coast and, although in lesser concentrations, throughout the
2. The Chinese government is investing $1.5 billion in Midwest too.
snowsports venue infrastructure over the next five years, But the geographic distribution of this population is only
including at least 240 new ski areas. (China already has part of what areas should consider when developing strategies to
50 indoor ski centers.) increase snowsports participation among Asians. When setting
3. Japan has 125 resorts (astonishing for a country that out to develop a new market, the best place to start is by actually
is only slightly smaller than California, which has 23). talking to folks from that market.

34 | NSAA JOURNAL | CONVENTION 2018