2022 - 2023 Far West Skier's Guide - 29

However, it wasn't all good news for winter sports participants
last season. The ski industry struggled, as with many industries,
to attract and retain staff for the season. Over 80% of
resorts told NSAA that they were not fully staffed. Ski areas
responded by raising wages, adding end-of-season bonuses, and
investing in affordable workforce housing. Due to short staffing,
resorts faced complaints about closed lifts, limited terrain,
and long lift lines, plus other issues created by not enough available
workers.
A Look at Summer Skiing
There was good news this summer for skiing in South
America, as pandemic restrictions began to relax. It was the
first time in three years that skiers from around the world could
head back to the Andes. There were some restrictions still in
place, but it was possible to travel if you met the criteria required
by government mandates. Mainly, it was having adequate
medical insurance to cover getting back to where you came
from. Portillo in Chile opened a week early due to big snowfalls,
and had only been open for a few weeks at the end of their
last winter season, by the time the country eased restrictions.
Conditions were good in the rest of the areas, with most opening
on schedule in June. Las Lenas in Argentina also opened,
and had not been in operation since 2019.
Canada's Blackcomb Glacier above Whistler also opened,
for the first time since 2019. New Zealand's pre-departure testing
was rescinded on June 21, just in time for the peak July ski
season. It opened its border to Australians, with quarantinefree
travel resuming between the two countries on April 13.
However, despite restrictions being eased in many leading nations,
Air Charter Service noted that 76% of countries still had
some form of travel restrictions in place in June. The USA no
longer required a negative coronavirus COVID-19 result for arrivals,
so skiers headed to the southern hemisphere or Europe's
glaciers would no longer need to take a pre-departure test before
flying there. (www.snow-forecast.com)
What are some of the lasting changes to be expected in the
winter travel industry as we enter season 2022-2023, as a result
of the pandemic?
Comprehensive Insurance
Safety concerns are always primary when skiing or snowboarding,
as it is part of the sport. There is always a danger of
getting injured on the slopes. However, COVID-19 added a new
unpredictability when planning for a ski trip.
Season Pass sales surged in popularity due to the pandemic.
Last season, for the third season in a row, season passes surpassed
day tickets in the share of skier visits. Season pass
holders made up 51.9% of visits nationally, with day tickets at
37.3% (with the balance by off-duty employees, complimentary
tickets, etc).
Skiing was an outdoor experience available, and the season
pass assured skiing availability when there was no guarantee
that a day pass would be available, due to crowd awareness.
Locals flocked to nearby mountains when travel elsewhere was
limited.
When COVID-19 hit in mid-March 2020, the Ikon Pass and
After several years with closed borders, there was some good news for
international skiers and snowboarders in the Andes ski resorts, as both
Chile and Argentina in South America opened for tourism for summer
skiing in 2022. From July to October, Bariloche, Argentina, located
at the foot of the Andes mountain range, is one of the greatest
destinations in the country for winter sports. It offers skiing,
snowboarding, cross-country skiing, sliding and ATV riding.
A snowboarder is enjoying the smooth snow at one of the local
resorts. photo by Federico Persiani on Unsplash
Epic Season Pass purchases were not refunded due to the unexpected
closures. Alterra, which operates the Ikon Pass, did
extend the deadline for early renewals and the payment plan
deadline. Epic announced it would offer season pass holders
credits of up to 80 percent to apply to a 2020-2021 pass, based
on how much they had used their pass.
Alterra then announced Adventure Assurance, which initially
gave 2020-2021 Ikon Pass holders the choice to defer for
credit toward the 2021-2022 season for any reason with no fee.
Adventure Assurance now comes free with every 2022-2023
Ikon Pass, giving pass holders credits in the case of COVID-related
closures.
Starting in 2020-2021, Epic Passes included Epic Coverage
with every pass, which would provide refunds associated with
personal events and certain resort closures, which included closure
due to COVID-19. (www.forbes.com)
Ski Trip Insurance
If you have never purchased ski trip insurance, it is something
you might consider doing, and conduct some research on
the policies available. The insurance market now offers policies
that cover COVID-19 situations. Cancellation benefits for travelers
who contract the disease, or are quarantined prior to their
trip, are provided for in most standard travel insurance policies
now.
Medical and Medical Evacuation benefits are also available
for travelers who contract COVID-19 while traveling.
There are also upgrades available for policies for travelers who
want to cancel for any other reason related to COVID-19 (a
Cancel for Any Reason Upgrade). (www.squaremouth.com)
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http://www.snow-forecast.com http://www.forbes.com http://www.squaremouth.com
2022 - 2023 Far West Skier's Guide

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