What You Ought to Know About Destination Mountain Travel...
June 26, 2015
Ski Industry

Summer occupancies and revenues at mountain resorts in the West are continuing winter's momentum according to the most recent data released by DestiMetrics, a resort travel research organization that tracks reservation and occupancy for participating resorts. 

As of May 31, summer occupancy figures are up an aggregated 8.5 percent compared to last summer based on existing bookings for the six months from May through October. Revenue booked for arrival during the summer season has already reached 70 percent of last summer's total. This represents a 14 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

 
 

Source: SnoCountry.    Read More...

Fight over Squaw Valley ski resort's expansion plan heats up

One of the northern Sierra Nevada's leading environmental groups is stepping up the fight against Squaw Valley's proposed expansion, saying its impacts on traffic and mountain scenery threaten to destroy the charm of the ski resort that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Sierra Watch's opposition comes ahead of a public hearing Thursday in Kings Beach, California, on Placer County, California, planners' draft environmental impact report of the project.

Operators of the Village at Squaw Valley are seeking approval to build a year-found indoor recreation center and 850 hotel-condominium units with 1,493 bedrooms on over 80 acres of the resort's parking lot.

 

Source:  Belleville News-Democrat.  Read More...

Ski Town News

Crested Butte's anguish about housing imbalance

Jim Schmidt has lived in Crested Butte since 1978, and during that time he has seen the housing crunch come and go. It's booming again, but this time the crunch feels different, says Schmidt, a member of the town council.

That's also the impression of Mark Reaman, longtime editor of the Crested Butte News. "It isn't just affecting the blue-collar ski bum/service worker types," he writes. "Professionals and their families are feeling the crunch. It is darn difficult for anyone to get a place."

  
Source: Summit Daily.  Read More... 
Little room for growth in peak periods

Taste of Vail When it comes to peak periods in the winter, Vail is essentially maxed out. That's good news, sort of. The better news is there's still plenty of room for growth at other times.

That's the gist of a recent report to the town from Destimetrics, a Denver-area consulting and analytical company. Company director Ralf Garrison Tuesday spent some time crunching numbers with the Vail Town Council, and the news was predominantly good.

That good news includes the summer season, which continues to grow. But how that growth comes appears to be evolving.

 

Source: Summit Daily.  Read More... 
 

This winter, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. And while things look mighty different than when the mountain first opened in 1965, Resort President Jerry Blann and Chief Marketing Officer Adam Sutner told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that the spirit and excitement that founded the resort is just as strong today as it was years ago. In fact, the resort is pulling out all the stops this winter, with new lifts, new terrain, and new restaurants on tap. Jackson Hole is officially in "a renaissance period." Curbed Ski breaks down all the juicy details from the interview, why exactly Jackson Hole doesn't "want to be Vail," and when exactly the new Teton Lift will open up this winter.

 

Source:  Ski Curbed.  Read More...

Lodging Industry

Snapchat and the golden opportunity for travel marketing

Snapchat was the fastest growing phone application of 2014. And with 120 million active users sending over a billion snaps per day, the app is poised to grow bigger and faster in the coming years.

But wait... I know what you're already thinking. 

Isn't Snapchat just for teenagers to send naked selfies that disappear? Well, yes, to an extent. And that's what probably contributed to Snapchat's early success since its launch back in 2011. 

But over the years, the app has evolved to appeal to a much larger demographic (my mom already has Snapchat), and now you are able to post quality content to a global audience.

 

Source:  tnooz.   Read More... 
Airbnb poses long-term threat to online travel sites like Priceline 

Airbnb isn't only a threat to hotels, but to the online travel industry, Deutsche Bank analysts say.

In comparison to sites like Priceline PCLN, -0.17% the analysts see home-rental site Airbnb rising in popularity and potentially becoming a large competitor, especially if it adds more hotel listings to the site.

Beyond discussions of adding chains like Hilton and Marriott, the analysts say they're concerned about conversations of European hotels and bed and breakfasts "'salivating'" over Airbnb's 3% fee compared to other online travel agencies' 15% to 25% fee.

 

Source:  Market Watch.   Read More... 
Travel
Long-haul travel sentiment points at continued appeal of European destinations

Latest results indicate strong growth potential from long-haul markets for the European tourism sector in the coming summer holiday season (May-August 2015). Despite continued reports of volatile economic conditions and political tensions, survey data collected in the five key markets of Brazil, China, Japan, Russian Federation and the United States of America highlight the enduring position of European destinations in respondents' minds.

Key findings:

Destination Europe is top of the wish list: Four in five Brazilians, Chinese, Russians, and US citizens who plan to travel long-haul this summer, intend to visit a destination in Europe. Across all markets, travel experiences that are top-of-mind for Europe include enjoying nature and scenic landscapes, seeing famous landmarks, and learning about the history and cultural heritage of the destination visited.

 

Source: eTN Global Travel Industry News.     Read More... 
Will virtual reality revolutionise the travel industry?

Even Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Facebook-acquired VR company Oculus, believes that it will be most widely used by gamers and enthusiasts over the next several years.

However brands in the travel industry are already exploring how they can use it to market and sell more effectively.

As detailed by Bloomberg's Jennifer Parker, companies like hotel giant Marriott, travel agency Thomas Cook and airline Qantas Airways are experimenting with initiatives around VR headsets.

 

Source:  Econsultancy.  Read More... 
Low Gas Prices All But Guaranteed This Summer

You may want to book that road trip or buy that new truck or SUV because gas prices are likely to remain near six-year lows for the 2015 summer travel season.

Michael Green, spokesperson at AAA tells FOXBusiness.com, "It is practically guaranteed that Americans will pay the cheapest summertime gas prices since 2009," Green also notes that while OPEC's decision Friday to keep production levels steady, at 30 million barrels a day, was expected, "it is still good news for drivers."

Consumers are paying an average of $2.758 per gallon. While Californians are paying the most, $3.638 a gallon, in part due to lingering regional refinery problems tied to Exxon Mobil's (XOM) refinery explosion in Torrance earlier this year.

 

Source:  FOX Business.   Read More...    

Transportation
Airline group backs down on plan for smaller carry-on bags

Carry on bags That didn't last long.

Citing "significant concerns raised in the media and by key stakeholders," particularly in North America, on Wednesday the International Air Transport Association (IATA) put on "pause" the "Cabin OK" initiative the global airline trade organization introduced on June 9.

"We need to get it right," Tom Windmuller, IATA's Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security, said in a statement announcing a "comprehensive reassessment" of the program along with plans "to further engage program participants, the rest of our members, and other key stakeholders."  The Cabin OK program proposed new "optimum" dimensions for carry-on bags that, at 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches, are generally smaller - in some cases 20% smaller - than what most domestic airlines currently allow. 

 

 

Source:  USA Today.    Read More...  
The travel industry must accept freedom in distribution

If you go out to buy a new car the dealer will tell you the cost for the basic vehicle. 

Then they let you select the extras, such as sat-nav and sunroof, so you only pay for exactly what you want. 

It is now time for the travel industry to provide the same choices and this is why Lufthansa is introducing its Distribution Cost Charge.

In parallel to announcing the DCC, we had numerous talks with our partners and I accept that there is still need for discussion. 

There has been a wide variety of reaction worldwide, from consent and approval to criticism and outright refusal. 

   

Source: tnooz.    Read More...  

Economy
7 Charts That Show the Health of U.S. Travel Economy in 2015 and Beyond

The state of the United States travel economy is healthy in 2015.

The travel and tourism sector in the U.S. made up for 2.6 percent of GDP-7.8 million jobs and $1.5 trillion in travel and tourism total sales in 2014-and has recovered well from the dual shocks in this century of post-9/11 slump and the severe financial crisis of 2007-2008.

The U.S. welcomed nearly 75 million international visitors in 2014, five million more than the year before and a seven percent increase over 2013, according to latest data from National Travel and Tourism Office, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

 

Source:  Skift.   Read More...

 

DMX logo
Attention Subscribers!

 

 

 

Very shortly, DestiMetrics will transition to our new DMX 2.0 "next-gen" technology platform. This new platform will provide a number of new features and enhancements to our Subscribers.  It is being launched in stages over the coming months and we'll be sending out a communique announcing the launch specifics as soon as we're ready to go.  

 

Once launched, when Subscribers log in to www.DestiMetrics.com , they'll first notice the new look/feel and navigation of the Subscriber portal that is now consistent with our public site.  All functionality however, will remain the same but with enhanced features. 

 

While the new site is very intuitive, we will be communicating the specific changes and enhancements to subscribers via email shortly.

Please direct any questions to Katie Barnes at [email protected]

or 970-390-4370.

 

Upcoming presentations and appearances

 

June 30

Steamboat Springs Resort Association Lodging Meeting

Steamboat, CO

 

September 13 - 15

2015 Colorado Governor's Tourism Conference

Crested Butte, CO

 

October 1 -2

CRADR Fall Meeting

Canyons Resort, UT

 

October 6

 Summit County COO Breakfast

Summit County, 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.
Quick Links
DestiMetrics Users Only
Join Our Mailing List
Like us on Facebook  View our profile on LinkedIn

Follow us on Twitter  View our videos on YouTube
View our
PAST ISSUES

 Volume 68