Running a ski resort is a little bit like being a farmer. Some years are great, other years are awful, and much of it is just attributed to Mother Nature. But the past few years have been additionally volatile for reasons that most who work in the business had never expected to see in their lifetimes.
The first season after the pandemic arrived, ski resorts around the United States found themselves in a bizarre situation. The weather was cold, the snow was great, but the slopes were often shuttered. Business at ski resorts, like much of the other tourist destinations around the nation were dramatically devastated in a way that that seemed out of an apocalyptic doomsday movie. Had we known then what we know now, maybe we would have been flooding the slopes of Colorado and the beaches of southern Florida; instead, we mostly all huddled indoors where we probably were most vulnerable to spread.
Yet a new dawn arose for the ski industry last season. With the pandemic underway and our understanding deepened, ski resorts saw record-numbers of guests trying out snowboards and snow skis for the first time. A freedom with scheduling with schools and jobs meant that people had tremendous leisure time flexibility. And so the snow locations saw abundant money flowing into their coffers — a wonderful turnaround from the abysmal year prior. Industry analysts estimate that more than ten million skiers and snowboarders attended ski resorts just last year. Many expected the newbies who had tasted the fun of the slopes the past year would be returning again, with hopes high that the 2021-22 snow season to be another booming opportunity.
Now, however, there is reason for concern. Not only is poor winter weather (if you’re into the cold and the precipitation) slowing down openings, but also the omicron variant, while not well-understood just yet, is reportedly causing some potential travelers to rethink their winter plans. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the variant, and as a result, those skiers and snowboarders who are more risk-adverse are sometimes making the decision to stay inside for the upcoming year. The same issue is arising for theaters, theme parks, and other leisure-based businesses, but for ski resorts that have a limited window for annual profitability, the timing of the variant could not be worse.
A growing number of ski resorts, especially out West, are being forced to delay their openings because warm, dry weather is keeping the slopes nearly snowless. @ErinNBCNews reports from Lake Tahoe. pic.twitter.com/Cy9ajYxeXK
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/trappist_e/status/1467677864342347781
It will be interesting to see how the population responds to a potential new wave of the virus. Will we go outside more this winter to breath fresh air? Will we hit the slopes in the hopes of a more normal holiday? Or will we return to our abodes, warm against the fire, waiting for the pandemic to finally end?
For this author, life is to be lived. But for you and your family, the choice is all your own. For businesses that depend on a return to the black diamonds and bunny slopes, they’re hoping that the call of adventure will be too much for those that might shutter in place.
For all the latest on travel and tourism, keep coming back to That Park Place. And let us know in the comments below if you’re planning to ride the powdery white snow of this winter season!
