Well we could tell people weren't getting out on the hill much this past ski season, but now the numbers confirm it. The trade group called Ski Vermont reports the state hosted 3.2 million skier and rider visits for last season — down 32 percent from the previous year when there were a record-breaking 4.67 million visits.
Nationally, skier and rider visits increased a bit from 53.6 million to 53.9 million, a 0.5 percent increase from the previous season, according to NSAA’s Kottke Survey. Here's a look at how things shook out in other areas of the United States:
- The Rocky Mountain Region was up 8 percent with 22.3 million visits
- Colorado resorts were up about 5 percent with 7.4 million visits
- Utah was up about 13 percent over last season with 4.46 million skiers
- The Pacific Northwest Region was way up 142 percent in skier visits over last year, with 4.8 million visits
- The Pacific Southwest Region was up 53 percent
- The Midwest Region was down 17 percent
- The Southeast Region was down 30 percent
- The Northeast Region was down 28 percent
Ouch.
Here are a few news articles about last season's numbers.
<link http: timesargus.com article news01 external-link-new-window external link in new>timesargus.com/article/20160611/NEWS01/160619913
<link http: www.burlingtonfreepress.com story money vermont-skier-visits-drop-30-percent external-link-new-window external link in new>www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/money/2016/06/09/vermont-skier-visits-drop-30-percent/85668394/
<link https: www.snowindustrynews.com articles nsaa-reports-skier-visits-rose-slightly-to-539-million-in-2015-16 external-link-new-window external link in new>www.snowindustrynews.com/articles/nsaa-reports-skier-visits-rose-slightly-to-539-million-in-2015-16/
Photo: A family atop Bolton Valley Ski Resort in January 2016.
