Posts tagged ski resort
Ski Area “Sting” Down Under
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
The “ski bum” culture has always had close ties to illicit substance, but a recent news report from Australia put this connection back to the forefront. There was a drug ring bust in Australia’s Snowy Mountains last week and of the ten people arrested, six of them worked seasonal in the “ski fields”. I don’t know if this is a huge score in terms of drug busts or not, but I do think that it only emphasizes the fact that there can still be a perception that skiing and snowboarding are linked to substance culture.
Resorts can only have some much influence what their guests do. The opposite is true of their employees and the resorts I have knowledge of are very conscious about HR policies in this regard and, at least in my opinion, have really done a fine job of separating the element of drug culture that there is in resort towns, from the resort workforce. I’m sure the Australian resorts where this bust happened have controls in place, but should and how could they react to show that they have taken measures to try to prevent people involved in theses sorts of things from gaining employment at their resorts?
Photo credit: Flickr user Aschaf (hmm, are those clouds, or….?)
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Second Home Market Rebounding?
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
With on-going chatter about the possibility of a double-dip recession it was interesting to read an article in USA Today about the growth of the second home market in family-friendly resorts. The article puts ski resorts together with golf and private-club communities, but here’s what it notes about ski resorts:
Ski resorts. Some resorts focus more on family activities than others. Among the most popular amenities is a slope-side “village center” that offers skating, dining, rentals, ski school and kids’ club in one convenient location. Beaver Creek, Colo.; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada; Northstar, Calif.; Stowe, Vt.; and several other resorts have them. Beaver Creek’s elaborate system of escalators in its village is frequently cited by parents of ski-boot-wearing children as their favorite feature. Beaver Creek and Colorado’s Snowmass, with its huge “Kids’ Treehouse,” were ranked in the top five family-friendly resorts by Ski Magazine. Beaver Creek is one of the priciest areas. Snowmass offerings start at $500,000-plus and run into seven figures. More-affordable options: California’s Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort has a new village center with ice rink and “Mommy, Daddy and Me” ski school packages. Condos in the Village at Northstar start just under $300,000.
Are family-centric offerings key to a successful ski resort, or are they just one more pricey gimmick that may lure in a few people but isn’t truly a way to build a long term and sustainable business?
Photo credit: Flickr user dhgoodman
Travel Data from the Bureau of Labor Stats
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
I found this recently released report from the Bureau of Labor Stats (BLS) while reading the Uptake Travel Industry blog. The data is quite interesting when taken from a ski resort perspective in that it illustrates how small of a chunk of the average consumer’s paycheck might go to paying for a day on the slopes. Looking at the below chart, the small blue segment indicates how much relative to other travel expenses are available for “entertainment”, it’s not much until you get to the top 20 percent of incomes, and even then it’s still the smallest fraction after transportation, loding and food & beverage:
This seems readily apparent that there isn’t a lot of income available for lift tickets, particularly looking at the drop in overall travel expenditures from the top 20 percentile to the 2nd highest percentile – it plummets from $3,718 to $1,459, quite a significant change. The other takeaway I had is how small a percentage of overall household expenditure the average American spends on travel:
That percentage is quite tiny at just 3%, and the other thing to make note of is that this is as of 2008, which is a year in which the recessions’ impacts hadn’t been felt much in the travel industry.
What is the takeaway from this report? In my opinion, it’s that ski resorts should be very cognizant of the available dollars that they are going after with consumers – mainly those in the top 20 percentile of HHI. I’m sure there are opportunities to attract those in the lower quintiles, but the numbers certainly show the best chance is those in the highest, which is something that I’m sure most of us have always been well aware of.
Online Travel Changes Underway?
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
Just a few quick thoughts, predicated by Google finally closing on their deal to purchase ITA Software, a flight information software company, for $700 million. If (or when) Apple comes out with a full featured iTravel and Microsoft continues along with the path that they’ve already set with Bing Travel, what will this mean for travel world, and more specifically, what will this mean to ski resorts? Might this give ski resorts motivation to innovate and expand in how they distribute and sell their products in the already competitive online marketplace? Or will ski resorts’ distribution options get swallowed up by the big boys (Google, Bing, Apple) as they focus their attentions on the process of travel booking?
Personally, I hope it’s a combination of the options. I think the companies mentioned will come up with some very innovative ways to simplify the travel planning, booking and even experience itself but that there will be plenty of opportunity for ski resorts to create unique and powerful ways to market and sell their products as well. So, by having new ideas injected into the overall online travel market, everyone will benefit. What do you think?!
A Ski Resort to Help Build Peace in Russia?
11 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
According to reports, Russia is planning to spend up to $15.5 billion to develop a whole network of ski resorts in the volatile North Caucasus region over the next 10 years. I’ve always liked to believe that skiing can help to bond and bring people together – I’d certainly love to see that happen on a larger scale. The one thing that I wonder about is how many investment banks and private investors will still be willing to put significant sums of money into ski area development, based up on the recent success, or lack thereof, of new resorts (at least here on the North American Continent).
The Montreal Gazette writes:
MOSCOW – Russia aims to build a $15.5 billion ski resort complex in its mainly Muslim North Caucasus region, where an Islamist insurgency claimed the lives of almost 1,000 people last year, a business forum said on Friday.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/
It’s pretty cool, in my opinion, to see a country like Russia pushing ski resort development as a way to stimulate economic growth. Is this something that the US should be looking at, or is it the wrong move at the wrong time, after the failure of Tamarack and the stumbling of Intrawest?
Photo Credit: Flickr user acidka via CC attribution 2.0 license
Should a Ski Resort be a “No-Tech” Zone?
61 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
As an interactive marketer, I feel like I spend hours upon hours pondering apps and other interactive items that could add value to skiers and riders on the mountain. However, a recent New York Times article, “Your Brain on Computers – Attached to Technology and Paying a Price” prompted me to wonder if perhaps the mountains are a place that shouldn’t enable our always connected addiction to technology? To clarify, does is it in some way devalue the outdoor mountain experience of skiing and snowboarding if a resort is encouraging guests to pull out their mobile device and in the words of the article, “our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.” Or, as one of the people in the article says of her husband, “‘It seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.”
The closing paragraphs of the story further the point:
Mr. Nass at Stanford thinks the ultimate risk of heavy technology use is that it diminishes empathy by limiting how much people engage with one another, even in the same room.
“The way we become more human is by paying attention to each other,” he said. “It shows how much you care.”
That empathy, Mr. Nass said, is essential to the human condition. “We are at an inflection point,” he said. “A significant fraction of people’s experiences are now fragmented.”
Obviously, a ski resort can’t shut down the cell services that provide data and voice services, but does it do itself a disservice by unintentionally providing a negative (an incentive to use technology) in an otherwise oasis away from technology. What do you think?
To wit, I just saw another story on this same topic on CNN titled, “Is the internet making us quick but shallow?” this is certainly an interesting topic to ponder.
Photo credit: Flickr user Jean & Nathalie via CC Attribution 2.0 Generic
How to Get a Job Working for a Ski Resort
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
Every so often I’m asked, “How can I get a job working for a ski resort?”
“It’s easy,” I answer “just look at the online application as it seems like there are always jobs posted.”
“No, no, I’d like to find a year round job doing something that doesn’t involve lifts, food and beverage or maintenance.” Btw, please don’t tell anyone I know who does this vital jobs i wrote this sentence! 
“Well, if you’re looking at marketing, sales or most management opportunities at a ski resort, you probably need to get in line…”
Actually, I don’t think it’s quite that bad and if you know what you’re looking for, have the right skills and network, I think it’s quite possible to find your dream job at a ski resort. It will most likely take some persistance though. Here are my recommendations:
- Network, network, network. Some of the best jobs might never make it to the job listings, so make sure you know the people who do the hiring at the resort you think you’d like to work for.
- Following up with more networking, look for resort networks on LinkedIn and follow ski resort peeps on Twitter.
- Setup Google alerts to let you know when a job in your preferred area comes available, and follow the job boards at the Ski Area Management job board or at larger search sites like Coolworks and ResortJobs.com.
- Start small, if you’re still in college, find a way to help with your local ski or snowboard club. Another great place to start is with internships, I know several people who have moved from an internship directly into a year round opportunity.
- Be realistic, ski resorts, like do not have huge numbers of year round people. You may need to work seasonally until you find your niche.
If your dream ski resort job doesn’t work out, remember that there are lots of other jobs in resort destination areas, and most resort areas have good digital connections that might even allow you to work via telecommuting!
Photo credit: Me – of a co-worker ‘working hard’ on a typical day at the office.
Move Back the Ski Season?
21 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
During the weekly Marketing Chat Twitter chat last week, there was a good discussion about how it feels like winter (at least in the West), has moved back a week. I’m not a meteorologist, but it sure feels that way to me, particularly on a day like today, May 2, when it snowed here in Park City! The question seems to be evident, “Should ski resorts move their scheduled season a week or two later?”
Would an extra week or two of skiing in April really benefit most ski resorts? I say no. First, the first week or two of the season is almost critically important in terms of employee training, public relations and getting everything in order for the business critical Christmas/New Years break, which occurs (for better or worse) just a few weeks into the winter season. Second, the benefit of extending longer after most people’s thoughts have turned to spring and summer won’t attract many crowds and certainly doesn’t have the benefit of driving additional skier visitation the next season the way an early opening does.
Is this foreshadowing bigger issues to come for ski resorts in terms of climate change? I sure hope not, but for now, I hope that resorts don’t knee jerk too quickly on adjusting their seasons. What do you think, does it make sense for ski resorts to start adjusting their season dates?
Photo credit:
The 2009-2010 Winter Season Wrap
01 year ago
by Eric Hoffman
in article
As this winter season winds down, it’s time for a quick summary of how it’s gone. For those of us in Utah, it was a slow year in terms of natural snowfall but surprisingly, not so bad in terms of business levels. From anecdotal evidence around town here in Park City, it seems like most businesses have done as well, if not a bit better, than last season – a recent Chamber of Commerce lodging tally is showing a year to year increase over last year of 4.5%. In other parts of the Rockies, it seems like the picture is similar, as shown by Vail Resorts’ 2nd quarter earnings report which shows revenues from their mountain operations off slightly at about 1% down year to date. It also appears that drive-to ski markets have fared better than most destination resorts and that many resorts in the East and mid-Atlantic region did quite well due to the substantial snowfall they received over the season as well as perhaps to the fact that some chose to ski and ride closer to home this year.
Any other thoughts as to how the 2009-2010 winter season has gone? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!
Photo credit:
Should Ski Helmet Use Be Mandatory?
41 year ago
In the past season or so, several ski resort operators have started to either require helmets for employee and or younger guests and recommend to all guests to wear helmets. However, it now appears that some states, like California, are closing in on passing laws mandating helmet use. I have worn a helmet for several years now, but I do have a lot of trepidation about government requiring businesses to enforce laws – are traffic lights, speed bumps and other mitigation controls on the slopes far behind? Also, studies show that helmets are largely ineffective at the average speeds most skiers and riders travel down a blue run at, which begs the question of do they instill a false sense of safety and confidence in those who wear them? In any case, in light of this pending legislation, please take the quick poll below:
