PORTLAND, Maine — The economy may have fallen off a cliff last year, but the ski industry’s drop was a lot more gentle.
Preliminary figures show there was a 5.5 percent decline in skier visits this past winter. It could have been worse without favorable weather in most parts of the country that helped offset the slumping economy, the National Ski Areas Association said Friday.
The figures were released as ski executives attended the association’s annual convention and trade show in Florida, where spokesman Troy Hawks said many ski managers felt they had dodged a bullet.
“The positive thing is that it was a fairly strong snow year,” Hawks said. “Many of the resorts said they would probably rather have a bad economy and a good snow year, versus a good economy and a bad snow year.” The Associated Press
