Early Season Ski Resort Bookings Up 2.1%

mike lewis

• September 18 2009
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Ski resort room bookings made during August for August through January were up 2.1% over last year according to the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP).

“There were noticeable increases for September (28 percent), November (26 percent), and December (six percent) and while actual numbers are small, is the first indicator that consumers may be returning to mountain vacations,” according to MTRiP.

The increase is in sharp contrast to recent trends for short-term bookings. Last- minute bookings which were strong in July, were noticeably absent in August, with in month/for-month bookings down 11 percent compared to August 2008. The report also noted that lodging rates continue to be significantly lower than a year ago as mountain destinations engage in pricing incentives to attract visitors to their destinations. According to MTRiP, discounts range from 4-18 percent with deeper discounts offered during lower demand months. Overall rates for the next six months are down 13.8 percent from 2008-09.