Summer bookings at mountain destinations in Colorado and other Western high-country areas are down 15 percent from a year ago, echoing the ski-season slump, the Mountain travel Research Program (MTRiP) reported Tuesday.
MTRiP, a Denver-based consulting firm that tracks ski-resort reservations, occupancy and rates in the West, also said mountain-resort room rates are down an average 10 percent for the summer and early fall.
The latest report covers 2009 lodgings reservations made through May.
But MTRiP said that reservations made in May alone for summer mountain-resort lodgings were up 9.3 percent from last year’s pace for the month.
MTRiP tracks reservations through a sample of 216 property-management companies in 15 mountain destination communities across Colorado, Utah, California and British Columbia.
It did not report total numbers of bookings.
“Although the booking trend appears to be consistent with last winter’s pattern, there is still some evidence that consumers are slightly more upbeat about future prospects,” said Ralf Garrison, who compiles MTRiP’s reports.
MTRiP said that travelers this year are planning more near-to-home bookings and are seeking lower prices.
Colorado winter resorts recorded 11.85 million skier and snowboarder visits during the just-completed 2008-09 season, down 5.5 percent from last year, Colorado Ski Country USA reported June 11.
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