At least the crowds were down. Photo: Vail Resorts
It’s been a tough season for Vail Resorts. From the look of things, it’s not getting any better, either. The American mountain resort company just published a news release detailing its visitor and income data from the beginning of the ski season through April 19, and the numbers aren’t great.
According to Vail, total skier visits this season were down 14.9 percent compared to the same time frame in the year prior. In that same window, total lift revenue was down 5.6 percent, ski school revenue was down 12.0 percent, dining revenue was down 11.7 percent, and retail/rental revenue for North American resort and ski area store locations was down 6.6 percent. The numbers are a continuation of a downward trend for the corporation. Vail’s January investor report was similarly lackluster, in a season that many snow retailers are calling the worst in decades.
“The winter of 2025-2026 has been one of the most challenging winters in history across the western U.S., with record low snowfall and historically warm temperatures negatively impacting visitation and spending throughout the season,” said Vail CEO Rob Katz. “March conditions saw a continuation of low snowfall and warmer temperatures well outside of historical norms, leading to weaker late-season visitation and earlier than planned closures for many resorts across the western U.S. As we previously highlighted heading into March, these dynamics increased variability and resulted in visitation declines for both destination and local guests with the largest impact in the Rockies, where visitation declined 25 percent. As a result of these persistently challenging conditions, we now expect Resort Reported EBITDA for fiscal 2026 to be at or around the low end of the guidance range issued on March 9, 2026.”
