SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Jan 10, 2017) - With fresh powder creating prime ski conditions across North America, many resorts are seeing the best start to a ski season in years. Liftopia, which operates the largest consumer marketplace and resort technology platform for lift tickets and other mountain activities, today announced that partner resorts are reporting unprecedented bookings and revenue, including the first time in company history where bookings on the Liftopia Platform surpassed $1.5 million in one day -- up 22 percent over previous years.
"After a slow start to the season, most mountains in the western U.S. and Canada saw massive storms in December and early January, and now have base depths that are near or above average. Conditions are phenomenal and should get even deeper next week," said Joel Gratz, meteorologist and founder of OpenSnow.
"Good snow in most North American markets combined with improvements in resort pricing, revenue management, marketing and distribution are driving consumers to buy more lift tickets online and in advance. At this rate, the 2016-17 ski season could shape up to be one of the best we've seen in years," said Evan Reece, founder and CEO of Liftopia.
Other key findings based on lift ticket sales on Liftopia.com and Liftopia Cloud Store sites include:
- Advance purchase lift ticket sales were up 37 percent year-over-year in December
- Although walk up window rates are up an average 5.7 percent across the North American ski industry, advance purchase rates were flat for ski dates during December
- Strong snowmaking weather in the East leading up to and through the holiday period meant high quality conditions east of the Rockies. In December, Liftopia saw especially strong growth in the Northeast, which suffered a difficult snow year during the 2015-16 season: advance purchase lift ticket sales were up more than 200 percent year-over.
Those looking to enjoy more time on the slopes -- or learn one of winter's signature sports -- will find Liftopia's 2016-17 Best in Snow Awards a valuable resource when researching where to ski or snowboard. Unlike other lists, the 2016-17 Best in Snow Awards is the only ranking that incorporates the largest dataset in the industry combined with feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders to determine ski areas they are most passionate about across North America. More details can be found at http://bestinsnow.liftopia.com/.
About Liftopia
Liftopia operates the largest online and mobile marketplace and resort technology platform serving the ski and mountain activity industry. Skiers and riders can purchase lift tickets, equipment rentals, meal vouchers and more from more than 250 ski areas in North America on Liftopia.com and via the Liftopia mobile app, with savings of up to 85% off walk-up window rates when purchased in advance. Founded in 2005, Liftopia is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading institutional and angel investors. Visit the Liftopia blog or follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.