Vail Resorts says skier visits are down 16.2% year-over-year

Skiers from Red Pine Lodge Canyons Village. Photo: TownLift

'Given the challenging conditions to start the 2023/2024 North American ski season, we are pleased with our season-to-date results and the guest service delivered at our resorts, highlighting the stability provided by our season pass program' - Vail Resorts CEO, Kirsten Lynch

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — In an investor news release, Vail Resorts, Inc. disclosed several ski season metrics for its North American resorts, outlining the company’s performance this year through Jan. 7 compared to the previous year.

Key Stats:

Decrease in Skier Visits: There was a 16.2% decrease in season-to-date total skier visits compared to the same period last year.

Mixed Revenue Results: While total lift ticket revenue, including season pass revenue, increased by 2.6%, there were varied results in other areas. Ski school revenue saw a rise of 5.0%, but dining revenue experienced a 5.8% decline. Additionally, retail and rental revenue for North American resorts fell by 13.3%.

Stability from Season Pass Program: Despite the decline in visitation, the company’s season pass sales mitigated the impact on overall lift revenue. This emphasizes the stability created by Vail Resorts’ advance commitment strategy.

Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch highlighted the impact of challenging weather conditions at the start of the 2023/2024 North American ski season, particularly affecting the Eastern U.S. and Tahoe resorts. Limited natural snow and variable temperatures led to delayed openings and reduced terrain offerings.

Lynch went on to say, “Based on our significant base of pre-committed guests through advance commitment pass products and an improvement in conditions across our resorts in recent weeks, we now expect that Resort Reported EBITDA for fiscal 2024 will be in the lower half of the guidance range issued on September 28, 2023.”

Vail Resorts is a network of ski resorts, including Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Stowe, and 32 additional resorts across North America.