Vail Resorts reported season-to-date total lift ticket revenue at the company's nine mountain resorts, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue for each applicable period, was up 9.3 percent compared to the prior year season-to-date period.
Season-to-date ancillary spending increased over prior year, with ski school revenue up 9.2 percent and dining revenue up 6.8 percent at the Company's nine mountain resorts. Additionally, retail/rental revenue for resort store locations was up 10.4 percent compared to the prior year season-to-date period.
Season-to-date total skier visits for the Company's nine mountain resorts were up 1.8 percent compared to the prior year season-to-date period.
The data covers the beginning of the ski season through Jan. 11, 2015, and for the prior year period through January 12, 2014, adjusted as if Park City was owned in both periods. The reported ski season metrics do not incorporate the urban ski areas of Afton Alps and Mt. Brighton. The data mentioned in this release is interim period data and is subject to fiscal quarter end review and adjustments.
Commenting on the ski season to date, Rob Katz, chief executive officer said, "We are very pleased with our Company-wide results season-to-date, which are consistent with our original expectations. Our Colorado resorts had particularly strong results with very strong destination visitation and consistent conditions. While Utah had a slower start to the holiday period, we saw very good momentum in the week following Christmas, with strong visitation at both resorts. Unfortunately, early season conditions in Tahoe proved challenging again this year, leading to lower growth from our Tahoe resorts than anticipated. Most importantly, we saw strong guest spending and increased yields at all of our resorts that significantly outpaced visitation, an indication of the strength of the economy and the experience we provide guests across our resorts."
The company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Park City and Canyons in Utah; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc.
