Skiing Facilities
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 300 skiing facilities in the US operate downhill, cross-country, or related skiing areas and/or operate equipment, such as ski lifts and tows. These establishments often provide food and beverage services, equipment rental services, and ski instruction services.
Highly Seasonal Demand
Peak ski season generally runs from mid-November through mid-April.
Struggle for Growth
The snow sport industry has struggled for about a decade to grow participation.
Industry size & Structure
The average skiing facility employs about 160 workers and generates $12 million annually.
- The skiing facility industry consists of about 300 firms that employ about 48,000 workers and generate $3.6 billion annually.
- Industry revenue is highly concentrated; the top 50 companies account for 86% of industry revenue. However, the resort market is fragmented; less than 20% of the roughly 480 ski resorts in the US are owned by companies with four or more properties.
- Large firms include Vail Resorts, Aspen Skiing, Alterra Mountain, Powdr Corp., and Boyne Resorts.
Industry Forecast
Skiing Facilities Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 15, 2025 - Park City Strike Ends, Lawsuit Filed
- A strike by Park City Ski Patrol at the nation’s largest ski area that began in December and lasted for nearly two weeks ended with a new contract with Vail Resorts, according to The Gazette. The Park City Ski Patrol union said the new contract increased starting wages for patrollers by $2 an hour and guarantees wage increases if patrollers at other Vail properties receive raises. The union negotiated for 10 months before the 12-day strike. The strike may be over at the Utah-based resort, but it now faces a class action lawsuit from customers who say the resort ruined their vacation by failing to notify them of the strike. According to Powder.com, the suit claims the company violated the Utah Consumer Sales Practice Act, which prohibits deceptive practices in consumer transactions. Skiers in the suit say they spent thousands of dollars on ski vacations only to experience significant disruptions and safety risks.
- Skiing facilities will have to monitor minimum wage changes in 2025, as 21 states and 50 local jurisdictions increased their minimum wages, according to Chain Store Age. States with the highest minimum wage in the US are Washington ($16.66 per hour), California ($16.50), and New York ($16.50). Nearly 30 cities in California and seven towns in Washington will raise minimum wages in 2025, with Tukwila, Washington, offering the highest minimum hourly wage in the US at $21.10. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the minimum wage change will affect more than $9 million workers and raise pay by a combined $5.7 billion. Unchanged since 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and some 20 states, primarily located in the South and the Midwest, use the federal minimum as their wage floor.
- Utah-based POWDR recently sold the largest ski resort in New England to a local independent ownership group led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, according to the New England Ski Journal. Upon the deal’s finalization, the Killington Resort in Vermont announced new investment projects valued at more than $30 million, including snowmaking investments, lift replacements, gondola revitalization, and a mountain bike trail expansion. The new ownership group includes 16 investors, and POWDR and Great Gulf will remain as minority investors. The deal, which includes nearby Pico Mountain, closed in September 2024, and the sales price was not disclosed.
- Consumer confidence levels declined in December 2024, falling by 8.1 points from the previous month, according to The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index was 104.7 in December 2024 from 112.8 in November 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that those remaining most confident on a six-month moving average basis confidence were those aged under 35 and those in the income category of over $100,000. Per Peterson, “The recent rebound in consumer confidence was not sustained in December as the Index dropped back to the middle of the range that has prevailed over the past two years.” Purchasing plans for homes decreased while plans to buy new cars and big-ticket items rose in December 2024 on a six-month average basis.
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