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Report: 2022/23 ski season resulted in record spending

People walk towards the Town Lift on a powder day in Park City, February 2023.
Parker Malatesta
People walk towards the Town Lift on a powder day in Park City, February 2023.

A new report from the University of Utah shows just how much the state’s ski industry contributes to the local economy.

Utah’s 15 ski resorts reported a record-setting 7.1 million visitors during the 2022-2023 record snow season. That’s up 22% from 5.8 million the year before. Summit County accounted for nearly 40% of those visits.

Utah’s ski industry supported more 25,000 jobs and generated nearly $2 billion in nonresident spending that season, according to a new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. That's about a 1% increase from the previous year.

However, Utah residents spent $694 million, a 60% jump from the season before.

Summit, Salt Lake, and Weber counties collected a record combined $666 million in winter accommodation sales.

Utahns accounted for about 44% of ski resort visitors, with 2% coming internationally. California sent the most out-of-state visitors at 8%.

The average visitor is 48-years-old and stays six nights, according to the institute’s analysis, with an average nightly lodging rate of $655.

Looking at daily spending, skiers and riders spend the most on food, followed by lift tickets, retail purchases and lodging.

Ski Utah spokesperson Alison Palmintere said the organization will calculate visitation numbers for the 2023-2024 winter once resorts close.

Corrected: April 22, 2024 at 12:01 PM MDT
A previous version of this story incorrectly said Salt Lake, Summit, and Weber counties collected a record combined $666 million in “county transient room tax” during the 2022/23 ski season. The correct figure is "winter accommodation sales."