Utah’s ski industry saw $1.94 billion in visitor spending for 2022-23 season

Spring skiers relax outside the Miners Camp restaurant at the base of Park City Mountain Resort's Silverlode ski lift. Utah recorded another record
year of visitor spending during the 2022-23 ski season, according to a new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Photo courtesy VisitUtah.

A new fact sheet from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah shows that Utah’s ski industry contributed $1.94 billion in nonresident visitor spending during the 2022-23 ski season, generating $197.9 million in state and local tax revenue. The industry directly supported 25,980 statewide jobs and experienced a record 7.1 million skier days during this same ski season, the report reveals.

“The 2022-23 ski season was unprecedented for Utah,” said Jennifer Leaver, senior tourism analyst at the Gardner Institute. “The data show several economic measures at an all-time high, fueled by a historic, record-setting snowfall at nearly every Utah ski area.”

Other key findings from the data include the following:

Visitor Spending. The $1.94 billion spent at Utah ski areas during the 2022-23 ski season is up from $1.92 billion the previous season and $990 million during the 2010-11 season. Salt Lake, Summit and Weber counties had a record combined $666 million winter accommodations sales during the 2022-23 ski season, up 7.6 percent from the previous year after adjusting for inflation.

Skier Days. The season’s 7.1 million skier days is up from 5.8 million the previous year.

Utah Skiers. Utah resident skier/snowboarding spending reached a record $694 million during the 2022-23 ski season, up from $433 million the previous year.

“These 2022-23 ski season statistics show that skiing, snowboarding and tourism in Utah continue to be vital to the health of the state’s economy and benefit residents by providing fun ways to recreate outside, excellent jobs and ample tax dollars from visitors that are used for community projects,” said Nathan Rafferty, president and CEO of Ski Utah. “These numbers reflect the hard work our Utah ski resorts invest in providing fun, positive experiences for visitors and residents alike to look upon fondly.”

The new fact sheet can be viewed online at the Gardner Institute website, gardner.utah.edu.