U.S. ski resorts report 61.5 million visits in 2024-25, second-highest showing on record
The six-state Rocky Mountain Region’s 26.4 million visits mark a decline in from the previous two seasons but still ranks as the third busiest ever, according to early numbers from the National Ski Areas Association
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily archive
The nation’s ski areas logged 61.5 million visits in 2024-25, the second highest showing for American resorts and a sign that the pandemic bump may be permanent. Since 2021, the U.S. resort industry has counted four of its five busiest seasons ever.
Before the pandemic, the resort industry launched a concerted effort to boost visits above 60 million, a high mark only surpassed in the 2007-08 and 2010-11 ski seasons. Visits have surpassed 60 million for the past four seasons.
“The 2024-25 season may come to represent a new baseline for the industry,” said National Ski Areas Association president and CEO Michael Reitzell in a statement released early Monday announcing the preliminary results for the 2024-25 ski season. “Even if ‘normal’ continues to evolve, this season gives us a strong point of reference for what steady, healthy growth looks like.”
The NSAA released the visitation numbers Monday at its annual conference. The initial report — more detailed numbers typically land in the summer — shows ski areas in the Pacific Northwest reporting their busiest season ever, with 4.7 million visits.
The Rocky Mountain region’s 26.4 million visits accounted for 42.9% of the nation’s ski area visits, marking a decline from the previous season and the 2022-23 season’s record-setting 28.2 million visits but still ranking as the third-best season for the six-state, 100-resort region. Colorado’s skier visits will be announced next month by the Colorado Ski Country trade group. Colorado, the most trafficked ski state in the country, logged 14 million visits in 2023-24, down from the highest-ever 2022-23 mark of 14.8 million.
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Skier visits are only one measure of the resort industry’s health. Visits used to count as a critical indicator for the resort industry, but with the widespread use of season passes in the past decade, skier traffic patterns have changed and the skier visit metric has lost its shine. A decade ago, about 38% of skiers used season passes. In recent seasons, that percentage has passed 50% but slipped a step to 49%.
Read more from Jason Blevins in the Colorado Sun.
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