What do ski industry leaders foresee for the upcoming season? We are excitedly awaiting our Nov. 16 Tourism Fall Forum, when executives from Park City Mountain, Deer Valley, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, SkiUtah, and Woodward Park City share their perspectives at Stein Eriksen Lodge.

Meanwhile, traveler sentiment and advanced bookings lead us to expect another busy, if not record-setting, season (providing world events and the snow cooperate) as we focus on getting individual visitors on board with sustainability action.

For the coming winter, Destimetrics says things are looking a lot like last year at this time. Average occupancy for October through March is up 2 percent, with slight upticks in November, February and March. Average daily rates are up 2 percent, with November showing the largest increase at 10 percent.

What does this say about traveler thinking? There are intriguing answers in the Future Partners State of the American Traveler report and Longwoods Sentiment Study. Twenty-six percent of American travelers are planning a November trip, and over 30 percent plan trips for December. Half say they will take their next big trip within 90 days, and demand remains near record highs, with 92 percent indicating plans to go somewhere in the next six months.

Travelers are optimistic about the holidays. Thirty-one percent say they plan to travel more this holiday season than last, and 57 percent plan about the same amount of travel. As for spending, one-third are ready to spend more this year (up from 24 percent in 2022). Fifty-two percent anticipate spending about the same amount; 16 percent will spend less.

Though the anticipated travel budget of $3,711 remains below the two-year average of $4,024, it remains to be seen how or if this will manifest in Park City.

We’re upping our direct outreach to incoming visitors with our Winter’s Favorite Town campaign and strong sustainability messaging, thanks to the Sustainability Toolkit and our partnership with the Park City Area Lodging Association. Outreach features include:

  • When visitors book, they get emails about Park City’s sustainability goals, purchasing carbon offsets, and visiting car-free. 
  • One month before, they get tips on responsible trail use, our paved bikeways and bike-share program (with pedal-assist e-bikes), and zero-waste tips like digital maps and reusable toiletry containers, plus using the Visitor Information Center as a resource.
  • Immediately before arrival, we alert travelers to our 55 EV charging stations, fire safety, our love of quiet and noise ordinance, and, again — car-free travel.
  • Upon arrival, guests get a welcoming text with reminders and links.
  • Colorful fliers greet travelers in their rooms with QR codes linked to sustainability information. We’ve made a handy guide for frontline staff, packed with sustainability information and links for their customers. This excellent partnership makes direct communication with our guests a reality and sustainable behavior an even greater priority.

This week, we are welcoming an audit from Mountain IDEAL as we pursue certification that will validate our leadership in sustainable destination management based on more than 170 criteria established by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the body that assessed during our Sustainable Tourism Plan process. I’m looking forward to sharing more information with you about that.

This weekend, we observe Veterans Day. Please join me in remembering the veterans in our lives — from family and colleagues to fellow residents — and thank them for their sacrifice in preserving our freedoms. We owe them everything.

Jennifer Wesselhoff is the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.