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Alterra CEO says skiing has reached a “tipping point,” resorts need to ease pain of “really, really mad” customers
The Colorado Sun - April 24, 2024
In a Q&A, we talk with Jared Smith about climate change, next-gen finance and growing skiing without tarnishing the experience.
Ski resorts and accessibility: How well are they doing?
Travel Weekly - April 21, 2024
NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- The ski industry has made strides over the years in offering adaptive skiing and riding opportunities, but individuals with mobility limitations continue to face challenges upon arrival at the mountain, said Marina Gardiner, guest services director for the nonprofit Achieve Tahoe.
Alterra CEO addresses soaring daily prices at ski resorts
Travel Weekly - April 18, 2024
PALISADES TAHOE, Calif. -- Alterra Mountain Company, owner of the Ikon Pass, is brainstorming ways to attract new skiers while continuing to reward die-hards with the substantial cost advantages of a season pass.
Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS), the mountain travel industry’s largest and longest-running conference, to take place in picturesque North Lake Tahoe, CA, April 14-19, 2024
Mountain Trade Network - October 27, 2023
This annual event brings together over 900 mountain travel professionals from 35+ countries to forge business connections, exchange ideas, and to learn about what’s trending in the industry.
'More than skiing': A ski veteran reflects on how the industry grew
Travel Weekly - April 14, 2023
BANFF, Alberta -- In 1978, when Michael Pierson took over as head of sales at Crested Butte Ski Resort in Colorado, he quickly set about attempting to broaden the mindset of winter travelers.
Vail plays host to the 2022 Mountain Travel Symposium starting Sunday
Vail Daily - April 2, 2022
The Mountain Travel Symposium is a kind of combination of family reunion, speed dating, trade show and summer school. The event returns to Vail starting Sunday.
Driving diversity on the slopes
Travel Weekly - March 28, 2022
The U.S. ski industry, partnering with nonprofits, is introducing more women and people of color to skiing and snowboarding.
Ski industry clientele got younger, more diverse during Covid
Travel Weekly - April 24, 2021
Going into the pandemic, the ski industry faced challenges due largely to its core constituency aging out of the activity and younger generations showing less interest in hitting the slopes.
Skiing, apres-pandemic
Travel Weekly - April 5, 2021
Reservation requirements, capacity limits, pop-up dining arrangements and suspensions of walk-up ticket sales are among the most visible and ubiquitous changes that ski areas implemented this year. But they are far from the only ones.
How to attract more skiers? Operators contend with decline
Travel Weekly - April 4, 2019
Innovations, both of the technical and non-technical varieties, are what the North American ski industry needs to end stagnant participation numbers, said a cross section of industry professionals at the annual Mountain Travel Symposium Forum.
Mountain Travel Symposium 2019: High-quality content and business building opportunities
Travel Weekly Asia - January 16, 2019
Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS), the single largest annual gathering of mountain travel professionals from all over the world in North America, is back for another edition of insightful sessions and invaluable networking from March 31 to April 6 in Whistler, BC, Canada.
Travel gurus get a dose of leadership reality
Lake Tahoe News - April 29, 2018
“High-functioning teams lead to high-performing organizations.” That was one of the messages delivered by Tina Sampson, vice president of sales for Vail Resorts. She was a speaker this month at the Mountain Travel Symposium at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Her topic – Leadership for Innovation.
Social media redefines how people plan travel
Lake Tahoe News - April 26, 2018
Social media continues to challenge marketers when it comes to promoting a destination because people are using multiple platforms and how they use them differs. In other words, the exact same message used every place probably isn’t going to work.
Travel conference redefines South Shore’s image
Lake Tahoe News - April 16, 2018
Glasses of bacon bloody Mary’s and craft beers clanged together in salutations while a disc jockey spun pop hits over a booming sound system. Guests shook their tail feathers on the dance floor and enjoyed a vast buffet of pork belly sliders, veggie platters, and pizza slices. Needless to say, it was a party. But this wasn’t your everyday Heavenly fiesta, this was the 2018 Mountain Travel Symposium, the largest ski business conference in the world and the meeting ground for many of the industry’s top leaders.
AT MTS, Ski resort execs say innovation key to meeting challenges
Travel Weekly (print) - April 16, 2018
Figuring out how to engage the next generations of skiers and snowboarders and addressing climate change's threat to the industry were among the dominant themes of the 43rd annual Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS), held here last week.
Expert: Hotel occupancy at record high
Lake Tahoe News - April 13, 2018
Hotel occupancy in the United States is at the highest level it has ever achieved – 66 percent. Ali Hoyt, senior director of consulting analytics for Denver based STR, was one of the presenters this week at the annual Mountain Travel Symposium. She provided a wealth of information about the hotel industry in the U.S., while briefly touching on metrics for ski towns. The firm studies 647 markets in the U.S., with properties divided into different classes. STR covers more than 70 percent of the hotels in the country, which is about 5 million rooms.
Mountain Travel Symposium creates forum for younger professionals
Travel Weekly - April 11, 2018
Organizers of the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) have launched the Young Leaders Summit, a new initiative aimed at engaging the next generation of mountain travel professionals.
Squaw Valley's Wirth says Alterra will maintain ski resorts' autonomy
Travel Weekly - April 11, 2018
Squaw Valley Ski Holdings president and COO Andy Wirth says new parent Alterra Mountain Co. will manage its 12 North American ski properties similar to how Marriott International's Starwood Hotels Group operates its stable of lodging brands.
Mountain Travel Symposium Celebrates Success
Hospitality Net- April 7, 2017
The 42nd annual Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS), took place in Banff and Lake Louise from March 26 - April 1, 2017 with upwards of 1,100 participants in attendance.
Mountain Travel Symposium emphasizes need to be inclusive
Travel Weekly- April 2, 2017
Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) panelists and featured speakers last week emphasized the need to market skiing and snowboarding with more inclusive messaging.
Create a Profitable Future with Mountain Travel Travel Symposium
TravelAge West- February 17, 2017
From March 26 to April 1, 2017, mountain travel professionals around the world will gather in Banff and Lake Louise for Mountain Travel Symposium.
Skiing still offers the same high feelings
Travel Weekly - April, 21 2016
By my own semiscientific count, John Denver, in "Rocky Mountain High," his seminal hit from 1973, sang the word "high" 17 times.
Mountain Towns in BrieF
Jackson Hole News & Guide- April 13, 2016
Ski industry and tourism officials met in Keystone last week for the Mountain Travel Symposium.
Airbnb forges trail to the mountains
Travel Weekly- April 8, 2016
Like prospectors in these Rocky Mountains more than a century ago, Airbnb showed up to this mountain town this week looking to stake its claim.
Mountain resorts emphasize diversification of attractions
Travel Weekly- April 6, 2016
Panelists at the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) stressed the need to diversify services and attractions as the number of people who visit mountain resorts strictly to ski and snowboard flattens.
Global businesses, startups collide at Mountain Travel Symposium
Summit Daily- April 5, 2016
Hundreds of travel professionals representing ski resorts, suppliers and tech startups filled the ballrooms at the Keystone Conference Center on Tuesday.
delegates head to mts
PlanetSKI- March 30, 2016
The 41st annual Mountain Travel Symposium, MTS, starts in Colorado, USA, on Saturday.