Skier visits fall a bit short of record
By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 12, 2008 at 12:22 p.m.
Colorado ski areas drew almost 12.54 million visits in the 2007-08 season, falling about 30,000 short of last year's record season, according to the trade group for the state's mountain resorts.
A slow start to the season, with some ski areas postponing their openings because of a lack of snow, posed challenges.
But plentiful snowfall in December and through the winter months helped generate visits later in the season.
"It's been a tremendous season," Colorado Ski Country USA President Rob Perlman told ski area executives gathering at this slopeside resort for their annual meeting.
Perlman noted that the overall number will increase slightly because Aspen Skiing Co. will reopen some of its runs on Aspen Mountain from Friday through Sunday to take advantage of snow conditions.
The number of skier visits from other countries set a record, jumping 21 percent from last season.
International skiers generally visited more than one ski area, stayed for a longer time than domestic visitors and spent more than in past seasons, the group said.
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