The Dartmouth Skiway has been largely unaffected by the national economic downturn, according to Skiway manager Doug Holler. While major resorts in the western United States have seen a decline in business, slopes in the East are benefitting from good snow and proximity to metropolitan areas, local ski resort administrators said.
"[Business is] pretty much no different than what we have seen in the past, and we are hoping to have another good year," Holler said.
Season pass sales at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl, which provide most of the mountain's revenue, have increased 20 percent over last year, Snow Bowl manager Peter Mackey said.
Day pass sales increased as well, he said, particularly during the Christmas season and over holiday weekends.
Mackey noted that eastern ski areas might be benefitting this year from the decline in sales in the West.
"I can't affirm or deny that that is happening to us," Mackey said, but added that he was pleased with business to date.
Favorable weather conditions have been a key factor in ski areas' ability to remain successful, Mackey said.
"Snow-wise, [this year] has been great," Mackey said. "We got around 30 inches in the last week, and snow has been great since a little bit after Christmas."
Jay Gamble, manager of Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H., also said the weather conditions have helped business.
Temperatures in the fall were conducive for making snow, and a good amount of snow fell in December, he said, noting that there was no thaw or arctic blast in January.
"Winter weather has been excellent," Gamble said.
Gamble said that the snow conditions helped the mountain overcome the economic downturn.
"Weather is king in the skiing business, and this year it is trumping the economic situation," he said. "March is normally our heaviest snow month, so I have more reason to be optimistic that this year will continue to be good."
The core market for Mount Sunapee's ticket sales, according to Gamble, are day-trippers from nearby areas in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
"This year, proximity is also king," Gamble said.
Recreational skiers in metropolitan areas can reach the mountain easily, and families in eastern cities may be foregoing trips to western resorts in favor of more affordable local mountains, he said.
Okemo Resort in Ludlow, Vt., which caters more to destination skiers than to day skiers, is also having a good year, according to the mountain's manager, Bruce Schmidt.
Season pass sales at Okemo have increased by 17 percent and hotel reservations by 7 percent, according to a Feb. 14 article in USA Today.
"There is no doubt that the economy has affected everyone, some areas more and some areas less," Schmidt said. "But we're happy with the way things are going."
Vacationers are still traveling to the mountain, Schmidt said, but they are not planning their trips as far in advance as they have in past years.
"Families are waiting until the last minute," he said, noting that many people are not booking flights until two to three weeks before their vacation, rather than making travel arrangements several months ahead of time.
Schmidt said he is happy that snow conditions and customer loyalty have allowed ticket sales to remain constant.
"Good snow trumps all," he said. "Skiers and riders who come here want to come where they are guaranteed that the conditions will be what they're looking for."
In contrast, Colorado resorts have experienced decreased ticket sales and hotel bookings. Advanced bookings through Sept. 25 for Vail Resorts, which includes the Vail, Breckenridge and Beaver Creek ski areas, are down 17 percent compared to last year, USA Today reported.
Intrawest, operator of several mountains including Steamboat, Winter Park and Copper Mountain in Colorado, announced layoffs last month, according to the article.
As of Jan. 9, Vail Resorts had experienced a 5.8-percent decrease in skier visits, a 20-percent decrease in ski school revenues and a 7.5-percent decline in ticket sales from the previous year, according to a Jan. 28 Reuters article.
"We're in for a very tough season," Jerry Jones, a ski resort and commercial properties broker, told USA Today.
