An article in the Denver Post posted Sunday, March 25, 2007 by staff writer Julie Dunn reports that in spite of untimely blizzards and unseemly traffic from Denver, ski resort crowds are soaring as good snow, great press and hot properties offer a lift.
With spring-breakers crowding the slopes and just weeks left before the end of the season, Colorado's 26 ski resorts are on pace to meet -- if not beat -- last year's record of 12.53 million skier visits.
With the average skier spending $210 a day, that translates to roughly $2.6 billion in economic impact. Buoyed by good snow, great national press, strong real estate sales, a wider variety of activities and more terrain, ski resorts are attracting bigger crowds and filling local cash registers.
Through February, traffic at state ski resorts was up 1.4 percent from the record set last year. The volume has grown for a number of reasons, including the addition of resort amenities that appeal to destination visitors and technological advances in equipment that help baby boomers keep skiing longer.
Colorado's snow conditions have been reliable, while other regions have suffered in recent winters. With higher elevation and much more consistent snow, Colorado has a strong competitive advantage.
The recent explosion of mountain real estate development has also helped grow a base of faithful skiers. According to Ford Frick of Denver-based BBC Research and Consulting, real estate development builds in loyalty. "You're a lot less likely to go skiing in Utah if you own a home in Breckenridge. An increasing amount of skier visits are coming out of the growing residence base in the mountains".
The weaker US dollar also has drawn more international skiers to Colorado than in past seasons, and Europe's dismal snow this past winter has helped continue that trend.
For more information about investing in Breckenridge real estate, email Susan Gunnin, or check out her web site.
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