Experts highlight Park City’s focus on high-income visitors as travel trends shift

Hoodoo Express Grand Opening, Deer Valley Resort. East Village ski area. Photo: TownLift//Randi Sidman-Moore

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau hosted its annual Tourism Fall Forum last week, bringing together business, tourism, and community partners to celebrate the upcoming winter season.

While uncertainty clouds the national travel outlook, Park City may be positioned to weather potential headwinds, according to Steve Halasz, CEO of Blue Room Research.

Halasz cited ongoing factors such as the government shutdown, tariffs, and mixed economic projections that have prompted travelers nationwide to book closer to their travel dates, shorten trips, and favor domestic destinations. Yet, he emphasized, “the Park City visitor is not the average consumer.”

One graph presented by Halasz showed a “K-shaped” spending trend: the top 20 percent of earners continue to increase discretionary spending, while the bottom 20 percent are more vulnerable to tariffs and downturns, spending a larger portion of their income on affected goods and with fewer savings to cushion the impact.

Halasz pointed to Park City’s strength in the luxury market as a significant indicator that the city’s economy could withstand the national downward trend of travel spending. Demand for luxury hotels is up about five percent, with average daily rates rising by a similar margin. In contrast, economy and independent hotels have seen demand dip by nearly two percent, with rates down 2.6 percent.

The Chamber also unveiled new marketing materials that continue to build on its Mountainkind brand. This winter’s campaign will target adults over 25 with household incomes above $200,000, reinforcing the city’s focus on high-income travelers who remain the cornerstone of Park City’s tourism economy.

The winter season accounts for nearly 60% of annual business revenue in Park City, according to data from the Chamber. While snowfall remains one aspect of winter success that no marketing campaign can overcome, according to CEO of Ski Utah Nathan Rafferty, he maintained, “Our worst seasons are most regions’ best seasons.”

With major resort upgrades underway and a targeted luxury strategy in place, the Chamber communicated confidence that Park City’s tourism economy is well-positioned for steady growth, especially in the years leading up to the 2034 Olympics.