2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide - 34

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A " New Normal? " The 2020-2021
Ski Season. What to Expect!
by Jane Wyckoff
Past President, FWSA

All of a sudden, the lifts stopped. There was silence. The mountain ownership returned to the animals of the forest and the mountains. There was still a lot of snow and plenty of snowsports activities
to be enjoyed before the season was to end. But, the 2019-2020 season
came to a dramatic halt mid-March due to a pandemic - COVID 19.
The resorts closed, and American skiers overseas urgently booked
those last flights home before the borders closed, and some of those
airline tickets were quite costly.

The Summer Months
Just as we acknowledged " we are in this together " and stepped forward to help those in our communities needing assistance, the snowsports industries came together, probably more than ever before, and
will continue to do so. Leading industry organizations are conducting
online meetings for industry members and the media to address
COVID-19 issues, concerns and solutions.
Snowsports Industries America (SIA) is the winter industry's
non-profit trade association, supporting its members through insightful
research, education and events, while advocating for issues that impact
the future of the industry. SIA conducted town halls and workshops
throughout the summer and just released a report entitled " The Impacts of COVID-19 on Snowsports Consumer Trends and Insights "
for its members. The report is the result of a survey of over 1,000
avid winter enthusiasts on the impact COVID-19 has had, and will
have on their spending. (https://snowsports.org/).
The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) is the trade association for ski area owners and operators, and represents over 300 alpine resorts and 400 supplier members who provide equipment, goods
and services to the mountain resort industry. NSAA supports a
thoughtful return to outdoor winter recreation, and an advisory group
of ski industry leaders developed the " Ski Well, Be Well " operational
best practices, based on scientific guidelines from experts. Each ski
area can adapt the operational best practices, which can be scaled according to the appropriate local COVID-19 response. A copy can be
downloaded from their website. (https://www.nsaa.org/)
Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) is an annual gathering of
mountain travel professionals worldwide. MTS assists the travel industry in establishing relationships, building their business, and creating a strong mountain business community. MTS conducted a series
of " Recovery Road " webinars during the summer months in an interview style with leading members of the snowsports industry, national and international, on how they were dealing with the impact
of COVID-19 on their business and plans for the winter. The series
can be viewed on their website. (https://www.mtntrvl.com/)
The winter industry took stock and began to immediately strategize for the upcoming summer season and 2020-2021 winter season.
Borders were closed. Air traffic decreased to an unprecedented level.
The first challenge for the ski resorts was adapting to changes required
by the local, county and state regulations due to COVID-19, as they
prepped and made ready to welcome guests to their communities. Incredible views, mountain and non-mountain activities were available
to guests, but it was a changing environment. Special promotions and
discounts were offered.

A wide array of activities were available, including: mountain
biking, hiking, golf, fishing, scenic chairlift rides, mountain coasters, alpine slides, and mountain dining. Health procedures were implemented to promote both guest and employee safety throughout the
summer months. Sanitation stations, signage to remind guests to be
socially distant and updates and changes to operations greeted visitors.
Alterra CEO Rusty Gregory reported that their summer resort operations, such as mountain biking and scenic lift rides, which cater
mostly to local customers, drew a robust business. People were looking for ways to spend time outdoors.
Aspen Snowmass noted that their guests, employees and community all contributed to a successful summer with a strong adherence to the Five Commitments to Containment, and working together
they were able to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep the strain
off their health care system. Their five commitments were: Contactless
Online Booking, Sanitation, Mandatory Masks, Social Distancing, and Capacity Limits.
The summer experience for the resorts was a time of adjustment,
and policies were modified, refined and improved, as planning continued for the winter season. Once the guests were on the hill, things
went quite smoothly. It was time to experience the outdoors and wide
open spaces, fresh air, and to enjoy the activity selected. It was getting
on the shuttle buses to travel, gathering in lodges for food and drink,
and traveling up the mountain on lifts and in gondolas that created
the most challenge. Masks were required in the shuttle buses and
lodges, in lift lines and on the gondolas. Everyone was required to
maintain a distance of six feet. A good amount of training was necessary in order for employees to adhere to the mandated protocols,
and to enforce rules for the protection of both the employees and the
guests. Humans naturally congregate and communicate. A mountain
bike would be a natural social distancing tool, but participants tended
to group together and socialize. These same challenges will also be
addressed this winter.
A boost to the summer activity was provided by an increase in
local resident visits, both in North American resorts and in European
resorts, as well. As air travel decreased, car travel increased with locals taking advantage of opportunities offered at their local mountains.
Resorts are staying positive that this same support from the locals
will continue to be seen this winter, as the Pandemic continues, and
some aren't ready yet to take air transportation for a ski vacation.
Ski resorts have invested a remarkable amount of time and financial resources during the summer months in developing winter
operational plans, to attract skiers and boarders back to their winter
playgrounds, and to feel safe. They have worked closely with the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), state and county health departments, to set up their new protocols and procedures. It is going to require patience and understanding from the guests, and respect for the
rules and regulations required.
FACING PAGE: The 2019-2020 ski season came to an abrupt halt in
mid March, 2020 throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Chairlifts
stopped. Slopes were empty.
photo courtesy of Aspen/Snowmass

34 Far West Skier's Guide 2O2O - 2O21 / Visit the Digital Edition at www.fwsa.org.

https://www.snowsports.org/ https://www.nsaa.org/ https://www.mtntrvl.com/ http://www.fwsa.org

2020 - 2021 Far West Skier's Guide

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