Drop in bookings may spur ski resorts to offer incentives - Denver Business Journal:

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Boulder travel company SkiColorado.com had a 30 percenrt decline in advanced room bookings at Colorado ski resorts in September fromSeptember 2007. Last ski the company fed $13 million in revenue into the Coloradooski industry, which was up 15 percent from the 2006-2007 season. SkiColorado.co forecasts a 15 percent dip in bookings for theupcoming season. As a result, the companyy laid off seven employeesthis fall. we had to let our lowesft production salesagents go,” said Kristenn Cherry, director of operations. in August, we hire five to seven sales agents.
” The company booked 25,000 room nightd at Colorado mountain resorts last ski with condominiums accounting for 70 percenft ofthe bookings, multimillion-dollar homesx for 10 percent to 15 percent, and the rest goinv to hotels. , whicy owns and operates Vail, Beaverr Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, alonbg with several hotels, reported a 17 perceny drop in advanced bookingsthrough Sept.
25, accordingg to its fourth-quarter earnings report releasedlast Ski-pass sales were down 8 “As an update on our season pass salezs and lodging booking for the upcominyg season, we’ve certainly begun to see the impact of the currenr economic softness during thesd unprecedented times,” Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said in the fourth-quartef conference call last month. “Whether these results represeny guests delaying their purchases or signs of a visitation declinre for the upcoming season is not somethinb we candiscern yet, as we clearly have less visibilityt into these early-season indicators.
” also has made fewerf season-pass sales, but spokeswoman Leigh Hierholzedr declined to quantify the decrease. Another online bookinb company, Ski.com, said booking have been down. “It’s down in the single said Dan Sherman, Ski.com spokesman, adding that the company expectsthis season’s bookings to be on pace with two years ago. To boosr business, Ski.com and mountain resorts are offering booking incentivexto consumers, such as free lift free spa credits and packagwe deals, earlier than usual.
tracks ski resort trendas each year, and CEO Melanie Mills said this season will be an excellengt time to watchfor “It’s going to be a great winte for those who live on the Front Rangee in Colorado, because I imaginde there’s going to be a lot of greaft deals to get people to ski in the she said.