The roads across Park City will get a bit busier in just a few weeks as a wave of skiers and snowboarders begin to descend on the mountain town, marking the start of the 2024-25 winter season.Officials from Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Woodward Park City and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation joined Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games spokesperson Tom Kelly for a moderated discussion about the upcoming season on Friday afternoon at the Stein Eriksen Lodge for the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau’s annual tourism fall forum.The discussion highlighted updates from Ski Utah as well as local resorts’ key plans for this winter, including new lifts and infrastructure at Deer Valley and Park City Mountain as well as what they’re doing to prepare for the return of the Winter Games in 2034.Ski Utah President and CEO Nathan Rafferty said the 2002 Olympics helped the state make a name for itself, and tourism has increased since. Utah has seen a 15% increase in skier visits over the past five years. Around 6.75 million skier visits were recorded across the state’s 15 resorts during the 2023-24 season, down from the record-breaking 2022-23 season, which saw 7.1 million skier visits. Utah saw about a quarter of the total visits to the Intermountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, during the last ski season. However, Rafferty said the state is picking up ever so slightly to capture more visitors.He also touted the financial impact of the skiing and snowboarding industry not only on the state, but the local economy. The ski industry contributed around $2.7 billion in visitor spending with an average expenditure of $320 per day.Park City’s overall tourism industry saw $2.2 billion in economic impact with visitors spending $1.6 billion, a 7% increase, according to Park City Chamber/Bureau President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff. There were also 3.7 million overnight visitors, a 4% increase in visitor volume compared to 2022, according to preliminary data presented from the 2023 tourism impact study.Around $247 million was generated in state and local tax collections. Summit County saw an increase in every tourism-related category over the last nine months, including a 3% increase in sales tax collections, a 4% increase in the Recreation, Arts and Parks tax, and a 5% increase in transient room and restaurant tax collections.Summer lodging numbers were up about 2% for an average occupancy rate of 35%. Rates also increased about 6% for an average of $350 a night.However, Wesselhoff said winter numbers are off to a slow start. Reservations on the books are pacing about 3% above average for all of winter, November through March. December is down 7% and January is down 9%, but February and March are outperforming the pacing from last year at 20% and 14% above average, respectively. Room rates overall are strong, but there is some variance month to month. The average winter rate is $950 a night. The upcoming election might have some travelers wary, while others might just be waiting for more snow to fall. There’s also increased competition with more Americans choosing to travel overseas. While the forecast for the upcoming season puts Utah in the “tweener zone” for a mild, snowy winter, officials are optimistic the 2024-25 ski season will be another successful one. The Chamber/Bureau invested in a rebranding effort, Mountainkind, to attract environmentally conscious, luxury travelers who want to spend time outdoors. Wesselhoff expects couples, families, sports enthusiasts, foodies and outdoor recreationists to visit Park City this winter.“We’re thrilled to embark on a new season in winter’s favorite town, and we just know it’s going to be another incredible season,” Wesselhoff said.Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games spokesperson Tom Kelly moderates a discussion about the upcoming season on Friday afternoon at the Stein Eriksen Lodge for the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau’s annual tourism fall forum. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordSusie English, Deer Valley’s vice president of marketing, highlighted how the resort’s expansion into Wasatch County is part of its expanded excellence mission. Deer Valley East Village will open around 300 acres of new skiable terrain, 20 runs and 500 parking spots this season — about a year earlier than expected. Employee housing has also been a big focus of the resort, which plans to build a 200-bed development called Ski Rail near the Snow Park base.Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh discussed how the resort is dedicated to enhancing the visitor experience by creating an innovative, welcoming experience on the mountain such as improving snowmaking capabilities for this winter.Woodward Park City General Manager Gar Trayner, a 2002 Olympian for Great Britain, and Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation Chief Operating Officer Calum Clark spoke about the inclusive, collaborative nature of the ski industry in Utah. They said they want to lower the barrier to participating in winter sports, and to partner with other community organizations such as the National Ability Center to empower youth and athletes as well as promote winter sports legacy.Four-time Olympic speed skater Catherine Raney-Norman, chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, emphasized the opportunity for the 2034 Olympics to help redefine culture and community in the state. She said officials learned a lot from the Summer Games in Paris. Everyone has come back rejuvenated and ready to reimagine what the Olympics could mean for Utah — to shift how to improve the lives of residents, not just make it onto the map.“We can think bigger, and that’s what we should be doing. We can think about the opportunities that go beyond just buildings and infrastructure and transportation, right? That for us is the promise and the opportunity of the next Games,” Raney-Norman said.The post Park City prepares for busy season of skiers, snowboarders and tourists appeared first on Park Record.