Park City’s ski season improves from 2008-09

Travel » Spending still down from two years ago amid slow recovery.
By Christopher Smart, The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/20/2010 06:03:49 PM MDT

Park City » Ski season is over and, among other things, that means there is plenty of parking on Main Street, where business appears to be up almost 6 percent over the bomb that was the winter of 2008-09.
In the aftermath of 2008's financial collapse, gross sales tax receipts for the subsequent ski season sank about 20 percent. It's a time nobody wants to remember.
But as waiters and maids, bartenders and lift attendants head out for spring break this year, estimates have merchants, restaurateurs, and hoteliers hopeful that the worst may be over.
First-quarter sales figures are not yet available, but according to City Hall estimates, gross receipts for this ski season are up about 5.8 percent over 2008-09.
"We expect the general trend to be up," said Bret Howser, Park City budget officer. "Going in, the [ski] industry predicted we'd be flat. We experienced better than flat."
For some of Park City's established restaurants and merchants, including the Main Street Deli and Dolly's Bookstore, the ski season that ended last weekend was better than City Hall's estimate.
Park City businesses weren't sure what to expect after last year, said Mike Lindbloom, who with wife Barb has owned and operated the Main Street Deli for the past 25 years.
"Everybody was leery. But [this ski season] turned out better than we anticipated."
Last summer's business helped Lindbloom make ends meet after the disastrous 2008-09 season. "We still haven't hit 2007 numbers [overall]," he said.
Across the street, at Dolly's, the just-ended season was much improved over the previous winter, said bookseller Liza Simpson. Dolly's numbers were up well more than 6 percent, she said. And the bookstore had its best December ever.
"The store was busy all winter. Overall, it wasn't anything to start a parade about, but it's moving in the right direction."
Dolly's and the Deli are two of Park City's more affordable venues and that, no doubt, helped them in these lean times.
Vacationers have changed spending habits since the bottom fell out of the financial market 18 months ago, according to Bill Malone, the executive director of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau.
"I've talked to people who experienced" an uptick in business, he said. "But I've talked to a lot of people who didn't."
Visitors on ski vacations continue to buy lift tickets, but in a down economy they don't spend as freely on eating and shopping, Malone explained.
"The [rebounding stock] market has helped, but there is still a little bit of a gut-check when it comes to vacation spending."
Reduced rates at Park City lodges took a toll on hoteliers' bottom line, Malone explained.
"Everything we gained in occupancy, we lost in rate," he said. "The net came out pretty much on a par with last year."
Businesses are adopting new models to cope with the tougher climate, he noted, and the realization that an economic recovery will be long and slow.
"It may be a long time before we see 2007 [sales numbers] again."