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Show Tally shows tourism on par with '83-'84 ski season by Christopher Smart Just how well Park City area ski resorts, retail businesses and restaurants did during the 1984-85 ski season is difficult to pinpoint. But it is clear no dramatic increase in tourism over previous years was seen. This year the striking gains of the '83-'84 ski season were nowhere to be seen, although a business here and there did report increases. Although a number of barometers can be used to determine how successful the past season has been, other factors confuse an overall analysis. For instance, some businesses don't disclose exact figures, even in the form of a t general tally. In addition, some tallies are fudged upward by optimistic proprietors. With all that considered, the town as a whole appears to have done - about as well as last year. Does that indicate a good season or bad one? The answer varies from business to business, depending on how much investment was made based on substantial increases in numbers of tourists and the dollars they spend. Perhaps the most reliable key to the season is the success of local ski areas. While the Park City Ski Area would not reveal any statistical information, spokesman Ed Bowers said the resort posted a "slight increase" over last year. ParkWest posted the largest increase of area ski resorts at about 9 percent, according to spokesman Laura Thomas. That figure, however, which includes overall skier days and season pass holders, may not reflect precisely the gross increase in revenue. Deer Valley resort recorded a modest 2 percent increase in paid skier days, said spokesman Russ Veenema. He said the resort was pleased with the season, but had hoped for a larger increase. He added that Deer Valley came out "substantially ahead of last year in revenue." For the most part, the ski industry cannot expect to broaden its market as dramatically as it did in the last decade, Veenema explained. During the 1970s, ski . areas attracted residents of the southern regions of the country for the first time. Now, however, no new untapped markets exist. "To make an increase, a resort must steal skiers from other ski areas," Veenema said. No single factor contributed to the lack of a large increase in tourism this past ski season, Veenema noted. Among contributing factors were an agressive advertising campaign by Colorado ski areas, a strong dollar abroad which sent record numbers of skiers to Europe, a good snow year in California which kept residents there home, good airfares into Denver and a lack of night life in Park City, he said. Another barometer of the season, lodging tallies, seems more confusing. Richard Pack, president of the Park City Lodging Association, said this season wasn't quite up to par with last year's. He did not cite statistics, but said the decrease was a slight one. The obvious difference between this year and last is what Pack termed a "soft" first two weeks in February. He believes a national news story that reported Peter's Sink in Northern Utah was setting records for cold temperatures in the contiguous 48 states kept visitors away during what traditionally has been one of the busiest times of the year. Pack said the resorts, the ChamberBureau and the lodges should work to bring groups to Park City in January and April rather than during busier times of the year. But while Pack believes this year's business was off, the ChamberBureau's lodging tally shows an increase of about 11 percent. ChamberBureau Director Debby Symonds believes there could be some question as to the accuracy of the tally since it is based on a sliding scale that assumes that visitors stay an average of five nights. There are even larger discrepancies among retailers and restauranteurs. While some have posted large increases others have gone out of business. For example, Robert Haedt, president of the Main Street merchants association and proprietor of Great Garb, said his business has increased this year as much as it has in past years. Meanwhile Miner's Delight and the Village Idiot are closing their doors. During the season, especially after Christmas, Main Street merchants complained they weren't seeing the business the resorts were reporting. Weather was included among reasons for slow business in the historic district. One theory holds that when the sun is out people are skiing and not shopping. Another explanation for slow Old Town business is that commercial space exists in other parts of town and may be more convenient for some shoppers than travelling to Main Street. A third hypothesis holds that a different breed of vacationer came to Park City this year, one that didn't like to spend money at restaurants and retail stores. Terry Jannott, proprietor of Janeaux's restaurant on Main Street, agrees with that theory. He found that overall this season was about the same as last year. But while he reported no increase for the year, he said business was off 15 percent in February and 12 percent in March compared to last year. Jannott believes there were plenty of visitors in town during that period but they weren't spending money dining out. "I think it's a different type of person in town this year. Last year's people liked to wine and dine a lot more." Optimists like to say that keeping pace with last year's records means the town had a good year. But even for those who would have liked a better season, this year's lack of significant increase has a silver lining: The ChamberBureau is teaming with area resorts to create an agressive advertising and marketing campaign for next season. |