About 80,000 visitors came to the valley for events in December, January and February, including the International Biathlon Union World Cup at Soldier Hollow and the annual skijoring competition at the Wasatch County Event Center.
Heber Valley Chamber executive director Dallin Koecher said events around the valley made for a successful winter tourism season, but numbers haven’t gone much above what’s typical: there was a 3% increase in visits compared to last winter.
Koecher said there could be a mix of reasons for the flat numbers.
“During COVID, you heard the term ‘revenge travel,’ right?” he said. “So maybe that stuff is starting to subside and demand is starting to normalize again.”
He also cited inflation making a dent in people’s leisure spending.
Koecher said summer is usually a busier season than winter for travel to the Heber Valley.
“You can’t get on Main Street in Heber without passing five or six trucks with trailers going up camping,” he said.
However, that could change as Deer Valley expands and Wasatch County works to capture skier crowds. Koecher said the chamber is planning how to attract more tourism to the valley when the expanded resort opens in the 2025-26 winter season.
“We’re looking at trying to… better position the Heber Valley to be an alternative destination, or that cute hometown feel that people want to see after they go to the ski slopes and enjoy their time up on the mountain,” he said.
Events and news from the Heber Valley Chamber can be found on the organization's website.