North America’s Vanishing Ski Resorts: A Study on the Alarming Decline in Ski Destinations

2023-05-28 07:00:00

The study made public by the Department of Environmental Studies and Sustainability of the University of Stockton is revealing: Approximately 59% of all ski resorts in North America closed permanently between 1969 and 2019.

After the boom of the 1960s and 1970s, the United States lost 65% of its stations and Canada 31%. An example is the state of Colorado, one of the most famous places in the world for its snow, where more than 140 ski resorts have been closed and/or abandoned throughout history.

But there are other reasons, like insurance premiums, loan defaults, and limited snowmaking operations, a problem closely related to less natural snowfall.

The report found that only six states (Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina) and one province (Nunavut) never had an official ski resort during the study period. However, during this period, six other states (Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska) closed their only existing resorts. Now 12 states have no ski resorts.

Also, at the time of research, there are five states (Alabama, Maryland, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas) and two provinces (Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island) with only one ski resort.

The results indicate that closing resorts in southern or warmer states, such as South Carolina, may appear normal due to already hot climates; however, many historically cold-weather and northern states have also recorded several closures: New Hampshire closed 118, Alaska 36, ​​Colorado 75, and New York closed 125 ski resorts. That is, many more than the number that are still open in these states.

But it’s not all bad news, the study itself draws conclusions regarding possible solutions to this problem: adapting to climate change by betting on sustainability, as well as passes that include more stations and large groups of stations that can withstand economic problems.

And concludes: “We believe ski resorts need to take environmental considerations, sustainability and climate change adaptation seriously to remain economically viable and competitive for decades to come.”

Related:

Record US season with 64.7 million skier visits, up 6.6%

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