The US ski industry bounces back | Manila weather

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DENVER: Ski areas across the United States have seen a strong rebound this winter despite public health restrictions put in place as part of the coronavirus pandemic.

Skier visits to U.S. resorts totaled 59 million for the season, the fifth best on record, according to the Colorado-based National Ski Areas Association.

“What a year this has been,” said Kelly Pawlak, president and CEO of the association. “From complete uncertainty to a top 10 season in terms of participation, it shows the broad spectrum our industry has filled this year.”

Beach resorts across the country were forced to close in spring 2020 and many mountain communities were disproportionately affected by Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic.

The US ski industry lost at least $ 2 billion this winter, and skier visits fell 14% from the 2018 to 2019 season. US ski areas recorded approximately 51.1 million visits during of the shortened season. A visit is considered to be the use of a lift ticket for any part of the day.

But about seven months later, the chairlifts started spinning again and guests set a new standard in skiing and snowboarding.

They wore masks, rode the lifts only with their groups, and stood 6 feet apart in lines Рroughly the length of a typical ski. There was no food service and no large gatherings for apr̬s ski drinks.

Vail Resorts, which owns 34 resorts in the United States and Canada, went further by requiring reservations.

But even with the restrictions, skiers and snowboarders weren’t deterred, and 78% of ski area operators said this season had exceeded their expectations, according to a survey by the National Ski Areas Association.

“Americans yearned for safe outdoor recreation and ski areas across the country,” Pawlak said. Katherine Fuller, spokesperson for the Arapahoe Basin ski area in Colorado, said the season was “definitely tough for all of us.”

“But people wanted to ski and ride, and it was sometimes like one of the few things you could do because it was all outside,” she said. “We kind of rolled around with it and it worked. It was way better than we expected. I think people really had fun.”

The ski area near the Continental Divide restricted the number of skiers and snowboarders allowed on the mountain each day based on terrain, number of lifts and public health orders at the time. He closed his winter season on Sunday.

The average U.S. ski area was open for 112 days last season, up from 99 days in the shortened 2019-2020 season, according to the association. Most ski areas remained open for as long as they originally planned.

Meanwhile, small and medium-sized ski areas, which are defined by the capacity of ski lifts, have performed well as more and more customers have chosen to stay close to home for ski trips.



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