Skiing Facilities NAICS 713920

Dec 28, 2025 - Slower Growth Forecast

• The US skiing facilities industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.24% between 2025 and 2029, according to an updated forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The expected growth rate is slower than the overall economy's projected growth. The arts, entertainment, and recreation industries are largely driven by spending by US households and tourists, foreign students, and other visitors. Consumer sentiment is expected to improve in the forecast period, which bodes well for the sector. Further increases in tariffs and decreases in immigrant labor supplies may push price levels higher and postpone improvement of inflation. The slow rise of employment and higher consumption prices may limit expansion of real disposable income to about 1.8% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026.
• Consumer sentiment in December 2025 pointed to a softer economic climate with implications for the US ski industry. The University of Michigan Index rose 3.7% month over month to 52.9 but remained 30% below December 2024, and 63% of consumers still expect unemployment to rise. Inflation expectations eased to 4.2% for the next year and 3.2% long term, yet overall confidence stayed subdued. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell to 89.1, with current condition assessments weakening and expectations stuck at recession linked levels. As households shift spending toward essential, lower cost categories, ski resorts and related businesses face softer demand for discretionary travel, premium gear, and high end experiences. Budget friendly passes, value lodging, and local or regional trips are likely to hold steadier, while operators emphasizing affordability and flexible pricing will be better positioned in a cautious consumer environment.

• Western ski destinations are seeing modest growth amid heightened consumer price sensitivity, with winter occupancy on-the-books down just 0.2% year-over-year and daily rates up 2.3%, according to latest data from Inntopia’s DestiMetrics, as reported in Ski Area Management. While summer revenues rose 3.1%, similar trends are expected for winter, driven by rate flexibility rather than volume. A notable 10.1% year-over-year increase in booking pace during September for arrivals in September through February signals potential upside for ski resorts that remain agile. However, economic uncertainty and weather remain critical variables that could shape final outcomes. The DestiMetrics lodging data covers 28,000 lodging units in 17 Western mountain communities across seven states.
• The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced visitation of nearly 61.5 million skier visits for the 2024-25 season, a 1.7% increase over the previous season and the second-highest visitation on record. The numbers are preliminary, as several ski areas have extended their seasons. Per the NSAA announcement, “Several years ago, we set an ambitious goal of reaching a three-year rolling average of 60 million skier visits. We’ve now surpassed that benchmark for four consecutive seasons. While weather will always be unpredictable, this year was less volatile overall, and nearly every region saw solid snowfall.” The 2024-25 visitation figure was about 6% lower than the record-setting season of 2022-23. One of the NSAA’s six regions posted record skier visits during the season: the Pacific Northwest region (4.7 million). In addition, the number of operating ski areas grew to 492 from the previous season’s 484.