Photo: Alterra Mountain Company
Half of America may currently be blanketed in snow, but it’s been a pretty dismal ski season out West this year. Potentially facing reduced revenue due to a dearth of visitors, Alterra, the company that owns the Ikon Pass, is offering promotional credits to try to tempt skiers and riders back to resorts.
The news came via an email offer sent to Ikon pass holders Tuesday, as Fox 13 in Salt Lake City reports. In it, visitors were offered $20 a day of “mountain credits” for up to three days skied at U.S. Ikon resorts between now and February 25. However, while the coupon may be intended to lure visitors back to the slopes, its use is limited to select food and beverage restaurants, retail outlets and equipment rental shops. Out of the 60 Ikon Pass destinations across 13 countries, the credits can be used at: Big Bear Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, June Mountain, Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Schweitzer, Snowshoe Mountain, Solitude Mountain Resort, Steamboat, Stratton, Sugarbush, and Winter Park Resort.
An Alterra spokesperson who spoke to Fox 13 did not confirm whether the promotion is tied to low skier traffic or lost revenue. However, Alterra’s competitor, Vail, recently published an investor report saying that North American mountain resorts total lift revenue was down 1.8 percent compared to the previous year, ski school revenue was down 14.9 precent, dining revenue was down 15.9 percent and retail/rental revenue was down six percent. Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz attributed the lost income to “one of the worst early season snowfalls in the Western U.S. in over 30 years.”
