What You Ought to Know About Destination Mountain Travel...Aug. 7, 2014
Ski Industry
Snow missing from New Zealand's ski slopes at a time when scientists say glaciers are melting

The RemarkablesWinter has rolled into its third month in New Zealand, and Nick Jarman says he's going stir crazy as he stares out at the driving rain on the small ski area he manages in the Southern Alps.

The Craigieburn Valley Ski Area is one of several areas that haven't opened for a single day this season, and some fear there may not be enough snow to open at all this year - something Jarman says has never happened during his 30 years carving turns on the mountain's slopes.

 

Source:  Canada.com.   Read More... 

Park City mayor to ski resort litigants: Get it together

Park City Mayor Jack Thomas - along with most residents of Utah's premier ski town - is losing patience with the land-lease dispute between Talisker Corp. and Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) that threatens to shutter the ski resort for the upcoming ski season and cripple the local economy.

In a public statement, the mayor scolded both sides for not reaching an agreement that would keep PCMR open for the 2014-15 ski season and the foreseeable future.


Source:  The Salt Lake Tribune.   Read More... 
Summer Activities 
A Game of Golf? Not for Many Millennials

The golf industry is suffering from a generation gap.

A drop in participation rates and disinterest among young people, particularly millennials, have sent both the retail and sporting ends of the business scrambling for a new strategy.

For the fifth year, overall participation in golf fell in 2014 as measured by the number of U.S. individuals who reported playing on a course at least once, according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association data.

 

Source:  The Wall Street Journal.    Read More...  
 Destination Tourism
Travelers stuffed $17.3 billion into Colorado tourism coffers in 2013 

Hotel check in The tourism records continue for Colorado.

On the heels of strongest-ever seasons for Denver and the state's ski resorts, the Colorado Tourism Office on Tuesday revealed a record 64.6 million visitors spent an all-time high of $17.3 billion in Colorado in 2013.

Releasing a trio of research reports, the office established 2013 as the best year ever for Colorado tourism, with a record number of visitors spending more than ever, filling tax coffers to highest-ever levels.

   

Source:  Denver Post.    Read More...  

Whistler outlines tools to entice village rejuvenation 

Landlords and businesses take note: the municipality is keeping an open mind, and an open door, on creative solutions to address the age-old problem of growing old.

To breathe new life into some stale areas of the village, RMOW has created a "toolbox" with a list of nine tools at its disposal - property tax exemptions, covenant conversions, and rezonings to name a few - with an aim of enticing the private sector to keep up with the times.

 

Source:  Pique.    Read More...  

Brand USA Gets Renewed

The U.S. Travel Association today celebrated the U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee's unanimous approval of the Travel Promotion, Enhancement and Modernization Act of 2014, H.R. 4450, which reauthorizes Brand USA, the public-private partnership dedicated to increasing inbound international travel to the United States.  "America's travel community is grateful to Congressmen Gus Bilirakis and Peter Welch for championing this vital economic measure in the House," said Roger Dow, president and CEO, U.S. Travel. Dow said the organization was also grateful to many other Congressional members for endorsing the measure or shepherding its passage.


 

Source:  Travel Agent Central.    Read More...  
Lodging Industry
Jackson leaders defend rental decision

Some Jackson and Teton County officials are defending their decision to ban short-term home rentals.

Town councilors and county commissioners voted Monday to confirm a ban they said was part of a 1994 countywide plan.

The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported Wednesday that Board of County Commissioners Chairman Hank Phibbs says anyone who has rented a home for less than 30 days has violated terms of the comprehensive planning document.


Source:  Seattle pi.  Read More... 

Keycard 'revolution' at Hilton's front door

Jim Holthouser believes a revolution is coming to the hotel industry's front door-literally.


 

That revolution might have begun on Monday as Hilton Worldwide Holdings announced a portfolio-wide plan to roll out technology that would allow guests to use their smartphones as keys. The company also is widely introducing the ability for travelers to check-in early and reserve a specific room and make special requests of their stay. 

  

Source:  Hotel News Now.  Read More... 
Airbnb presents a growing threat to hotel industry

The hotel industry can no longer ignore the Airbnb phenomenon and write it off as a wannabe competitor. One simple reason is that Airbnb has not disappeared from the scene as yet another new fad that bites the dust. Another more important one is that Airbnb's popularity and sales both seem to be rising too fast for comfort.

 

Source:  MultiBriefs.  Read More... 
Airline Industry
Several airlines announce record profits

Airlines reported record profits Thursday that yielded unexpected stock buy-backs, a rare dividend and even bonuses for workers who weathered the industry's difficult financial straits in recent years.

"They are in a period of strong demand with good capacity," Jim Corridore, equity analyst at S&P Capital IQ. "They are reaping the benefits of that."

American Airlines, which was in bankruptcy court last year and merged with U.S. Airways in December, announced the company's first dividend since 1980, based on record quarterly profits of $1.5 billion.

 
Source:  USA Today.  Read More... 
US House votes against consumers and for airlines

Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today criticized a US House of Representatives vote passing the Orwellian-titled Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 (H.R. 4156). The bill is based on a big airline lie, was rushed out of the Transportation Committee with just airlines' input and was inappropriately included on the suspension calendar. H.R. 4156 would harm consumers by reversing a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rule implemented in 2012 as a cure to misleading airline advertising.

  

Source: Global Travel Industry NewsRead More...  
Economy
Employment report shows jobs growing at steady pace

Months out from the midterm elections, Democrats on the campaign trail are now armed with this talking point: No matter how you look at it, the economy is steadily gaining strength.

The Labor Department said Friday that the economy added 209,000 jobs in July while the unemployment rate ticked up to 6.2 percent. While Friday's jobs report was less robust than many economists had expected, it still helps paint a broad picture of a strengthening labor market.

  

Source:  Politico.   Read More...  

Gossip
   
Mountain Travel News, issued by DestiMetrics, is designed to provide relevant and timely market information to the destination mountain travel industry.

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During this quarterly webinar the DestiMetrics team will offer an assessment of this summer's industry wide lodging performance and will project our season's end overall occupancy, ADR & RevPAR.  We'll also take our first peek at the 2014/15 winter outlook based on advanced reservation data and will present current market conditions utilizing broad economic indicators and what they mean to the mountain travel industry.  

 

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August 26

Winter Park Lodging Meeting - Market Update & Program Overview

Winter Park, CO

 

August 30

Copper Mountain Homeowners Association

Copper Mtn, CO

 

October 2-3

Central Reservations Association of Destination Resorts (CRADR)

Schweitzer Mtn, ID

 

October 9

Summit Chamber of Commerce COO Breakfast

Summit County, CO

 

October 24

Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST) Quarterly Meeting

Ouray, CO

 

November 21

Keystone Neighbourhood Company

Keystone, CO 

 

January 28, 2015

The ASSEMBLY 2015 

Denver, CO

 

Note: If you're planning on attending any of these events and would like to schedule a time to meet, please contact Katie Barnes at [email protected] or 970-390-4370.
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