Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - (Page S1)

SKI UNIVERSITY Peak Sales The latest research ﬁnds the ski market to be a stable, growing, proﬁtable choice One can speak with longing about the magic of a winter vacation spent among good friends, close family and spectacular mountain scenery. But as travel agents are well aware, it’s often money that does the talking. And in the case of the ski/snowboard market, money speaks with a clear and compelling voice. That is true in part because what’s always been true about skiing and snowboarding remains so: Agents with a little knowledge of the market can make a mint on the trips by earning commission on many of their components. Leading tour operator Ski.com, for one, pays 10 percent commission on lodging, lift tickets, ground transportation, equipment rentals and travel insurance, with commission also available on some ﬂights and ski school programs. The price tag for large families can easily stretch into the tens of thousands of dollars, potentially resulting in a four-ﬁgure commission check for you. In addition, the latest research ﬁnds that ski/ snowboard is a multibillion-dollar, highly stable market, showing modest annual growth. Last year was the most robust year the ski/snowboard world has ever seen, and the segment’s greatest growth has been in some of the most lucrative demographic categories: travelers 45 to 54 and 55 to 64. And with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver approaching, researchers suggest that interest in skiing and snowboarding in North America is likely to reach a crescendo. All this leads to one basic, undeniaBeaver Creek | Vail Resorts Welcome to ble point: Right now is the perfect time to boost your knowledge of the ski/snowboard segment. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), the major trade association for ski/snowboard mountains, reported this year in its Kottke End of Season Survey that the 2007-08 season saw a record 60.5 million visits in 2007-08, up 2.7 percent from the previous record of 58.9 million visits, which was set in 2005-06. In part, NSAA said, these increases were caused by improved weather conditions and abundant snowfall. Also, NSAA said, the numbers of ski visits to the Rocky Mountains—by far the region with the most ski areas and skiers—saw the fourth consecutive record. The number of Rocky Mountain visitors rose by 2.3 percent, to 21.324 million. As for Colorado, trade association group Colorado Ski Country USA posted its secondhighest total ever, at 12,540,603 visits; only the previous year’s number (2006-07) was higher, at 12,566,299 visits. Among Colorado Ski Country USA’s destination resorts—where, after all, travel agents are likely to be sending clients—a record of 3,865,427 visits was set in 2007-08. REVENUE GROWING It’s not just the number of visits that is showing growth. Independent ﬁrm IBISWorld ﬁnds an increase in ski market revenue for the past year, with total revenue of approximately $2.45 billion, a 3 percent increase over revenues generated in 2007. In the ﬁve years leading up to 2008, IBISWorld said, the industry has observed average annual increases of 3.3 percent. Its forecast for 2009 is for revenue of $2.53 billion, another increase of 3.3 percent. Perhaps more importantly, IBISWorld ﬁnds low volatility in the ski industry, with revenue ﬂuctuations of less than 3 percentage points, indicating an overall stability rather than a boomand-bust pattern. In the ski/snowboard industry, IBISWorld says, the top two players account for approximately 50 percent of the industry’s revenue, with leader Intrawest Corp. at 28 percent, and Vail Resorts at 22 percent. The industry faces increased competition from warm-weather resorts and from larger ski resorts, according to IBISWorld; the trend in the last ﬁve years has been for small, privately owned operators to lose market share and close operations. IBISWorld’s researchers project that the industry will grow at an annual rate of 2.7 percent during the ﬁve-year period leading to 2013, with the strongest increases to occur in the years http://www.Ski.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - October 27, 2008

Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Europe Hawaii Pacific/Asia Pacific Northwest Las Vegas Mexico Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts Cruises The Danube Express Tours Agent Profile A Marketing Edge Agenda Luxury Travel Expo American Express Offers Agents Advantages Japan Opens New Tourism Agency News and Notes from the Caribbean In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - October 27, 2008

Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 (Page Cover1) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 (Page Cover2) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 (Page 1) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Online Now (Page 2) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Online Now (Page 3) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contributors (Page 8) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Contributors (Page 9) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 10) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 11) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 12) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 13) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 14) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - From the Editor (Page 15) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 16) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page SCover1) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page SCover2) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S1) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S2) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S3) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S4) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S5) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S6) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S7) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S8) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S9) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S10) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S11) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page S12) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page SCover3) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page SCover4) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 33) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 34) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 35) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 36) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Europe (Page 37) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 38) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 39) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 40) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Hawaii (Page 41) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 42) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 43) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 44) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 45) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 46) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific/Asia (Page 47) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific Northwest (Page 48) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Pacific Northwest (Page 49) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 50) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 51) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 52) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Las Vegas (Page 53) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 54) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 55) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 56) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 57) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 58) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 59) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 60) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Mexico (Page 61) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 62) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 63) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 64) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 65) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 66) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cover Story: New Caribbean Resorts (Page 67) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cruises (Page 68) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cruises (Page 69) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cruises (Page 70) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Cruises (Page 71) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - The Danube Express (Page 72) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - The Danube Express (Page 73) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Tours (Page 74) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Tours (Page 75) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Tours (Page 76) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Tours (Page 77) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 78) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Agent Profile (Page 79) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - A Marketing Edge (Page 80) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - A Marketing Edge (Page 81) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Agenda (Page 82) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Agenda (Page 83) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Luxury Travel Expo (Page 84) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Luxury Travel Expo (Page 85) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - American Express Offers Agents Advantages (Page 86) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - American Express Offers Agents Advantages (Page 87) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Japan Opens New Tourism Agency (Page 88) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Japan Opens New Tourism Agency (Page 89) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - News and Notes from the Caribbean (Page 90) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - News and Notes from the Caribbean (Page 91) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 92) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - In the Spotlight (Page 93) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Editorial Index (Page 94) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Advertising Index (Page 95) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page 96) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover3) Travel Agent - October 27, 2008 - Trendwatch (Page Cover4) 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