With fall officially upon us, travelers are already beginning to plan out their winter ski trips. At TurnKey, our data suggest that guests will start booking their winter ski trips pretty soon. However, recent travel trends also show that lead times – the time between a traveler booking a reservation and their check-in date – have been shorter this year, and that may have an impact on your current booking calendar.
During the peak (December-February) of ski season in 2019, the average amount of time from booking a TurnKey ski home to arrival was about 51 days. Some travelers waited to book until a week before their trip but others booked almost 3 months out to make sure they got the home they wanted. With COVID-19 still driving some uncertainty over travel, this trend will most likely change.
Whether you’re a guest deciding when to make that deposit on a vacation rental or you’re a homeowner deciding when to expect bookings to happen, we’ve compiled valuable information on reported opening dates for ski resorts, traveler booking timelines, and traveler trends.
When are ski resorts opening for the 2020-21 season?
Here are the estimated dates of opening for major resorts across the country:
| California Bear: November 23 Bear Valley: December 1 Boreal Mountain: November 9 China Peak: December 7 Heavenly: November 19 Kirkwood: November 23 Mammoth: November 14 Mountain High: November 25 Northstar: November 20 Snow Summit: November 23 Snow Valley: December 15 Squaw Valley: November 25 Sugar Bowl: November 28 Tahoe Donner: December 10 | Colorado Aspen: November 21 Aspen Highlands: December 12 Aspen Mountain: November 26 Arapahoe Basin: October 19 Beaver Creek: November 22 Breckenridge: November 13 Buttermilk: December 18 Copper Mountain: November 30 Crested Butte: November 23 Echo Mountain: September 9 Eldora: November 23 Keystone: November 9 Loveland: October 28 Monarch: November 23 Powderhorn: December 17 Snowmass: November 26 Steamboat: November 21 Telluride: November 28 Vail: November 20 Winter Park: November 18 Wolf Creek: November 4 |
| Utah Alta: November 25 Brian Head: November 20 Brighton: November 19 Deer Valley: December 5 Park City: November 22 Powder: December 11 Snowbasin: November 24 Snowbird: November 22 Solitude: November 20 Sundance: December 7 | Oregon Hoodoo: December 21 Mount Bachelor: November 22 Mount Hood: November 28 |
| New Mexico Angel Fire Resort: December 10 Enchanted Forest: October 9 Ski Apache: December 4 Taos: November 27 | North Carolina Appalachian: November 24 Beech Mountain: November 23 Cataloochee: November 13 Sugar Mountain: November 13 |
| Maine Sugarloaf: November 18 Sunday River: November 2 | Vermont Mount Snow: November 15 Okemo: November 17 Smugglers’ Notch: November 23 Stowe: November 20 Stratton: November 25 Sugarbush: November 21 |
How far in advance are travelers booking ski homes?
In past years, our data showed travelers booking their ski trips in a variety of booking times, ranging from as little as 10 days in Mammoth, CA, to almost 3 months ahead in Aspen, CO. Due to COVID-19, however, many travelers are choosing to wait closer to their check-in date to book – we have seen our average lead time drop to around 14 days since local regulations have started opening up businesses and short-term rental options.
As a homeowner, if you are not seeing bookings come in as early as usual, keep in mind that shorter lead times may be one reason why.
How do travelers feel about safety and traveling to ski markets?
In a survey by Destinations Analysts, although few (22.9%) feel taking a ski vacation is “safe” or “very safe,” it is considerably more comfortable for vacation travelers to do compared to amusement parks, dining in restaurants, or staying in a hotel. When it comes to returning ski vacation travelers, safety ratings are higher (57.9%), and millennials are more comfortable taking this trip this winter (32.6%)
Additionally, data from our Revenue Management team show that people have an increasing preference in booking “drive-to” destinations in Colorado and California, while traditional “fly-to” markets are seeing fewer bookings. However, since lead times have shortened in 2020, we may see more bookings closer to the check-in date for ski markets this winter.
Need help getting your home ready for ski season? Learn more about how TurnKey can help you earn more revenue, provide better home care, and give you greater peace of mind here.
