Ski resorts left a lot of money on the slopes due to the pandemic.(AP Photo/Christopher Eng)
DENVER— Ski resorts were forced to close in March because of coronavirus restrictions. Had there been no coronavirus, the NSAA says the ski industry was on track for the 4th best season they ever had since they started measuring in 1980.
“The average ski area was open only 99 days last season… compared with the 121 days they got in the 2018-19 season.” This from an Associated Press report that quotes the Denver-based National Ski Area Association (NSAA). Even though that’s close to 80 percent of what they had the year prior, the association says it cost the US Ski Industry 2 billion dollars.
The NSAA says that skier visits were down 14 percent last season because of this and the overall economic downturn of the pandemic. Officials count a “visit” as the use of a lift ticket for any part of the day and is considered the standard mark of performance.
What if the virus and economic grind persists? The NSAA thinks the country’s ski industry could lose 5 billion this season.