Colorado ski areas finish season with 11.8 million skier visits, up slightly from last season

Colorado skier visits up slightly this season

DENVER — A trade group says skier visits to Colorado ski resorts this season were up just under 1 percent from last season.

Colorado Ski Country USA said Thursday that there were more than 11.8 million skier visits at all Colorado resorts this season, up 0.8 percent from last season. Those numbers include Vail Resorts Inc.’s four Colorado ski areas, even though the company doesn’t participate in the trade group.

Group President Melanie Mills says visits from international customers were up 6.5 percent, but visits from Denver and other places along the Front Range were down from record levels last season. She didn’t release exact numbers.

Mills says she’s happy with the results, given challenges in the travel industry.