During the 2022–2023 season, Utah’s ski industry brought in $1.94 billion in revenue from non-resident visitors

Salt Lake City, Utah – Hate every tourist that comes to Utah in the winter? You might want to reconsider. Data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows that during the 2022–2023 ski season, out-of-state visitors spent a record $1.94 billion at Utah ski facilities.

In contrast, the 2021–2022 season saw nonresident tourists spend $1.92 billion, whereas the 2010–2011 season had $990 million invested. $197.9 million in state and local taxes were collected from the $1.94 billion.

25,980 employment in the state were directly supported by the ski sector in 2022–2023.

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

In 2022–2023, Utah’s “greatest snow on earth” broke all previous records. Alta Ski Area finally received 903 inches of snowfall for the season, breaking records for many resorts. In addition, the 2022–2023 season was the longest in Utah history, with Park City Mountain opening in May for the first time in forty years and Snowbird Resort staying open well into June.

The data shows that Utah has 15 ski areas, and during the 2022–2023 ski season, there were 7.1 million skier days, up from 5.8 million the year before.

During the 2022–2023 season, county transient room taxes also went up. After accounting for inflation, Salt Lake, Summit, and Weber Counties collected a record $666 million in total, 7.6% more than the previous year.

During the 2022–2023 ski season, Utah residents’ spending on skiing and snowboarding reached a record of $694 million. However, residents only spent $433 million for the 2021–2022 season.

“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,” Nathan Rafferty, the President & CEO of Ski Utah said. “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.”