Post-pandemic ski holidays will become 'old school', warn resort heads
Ski holidays will resemble an “old school experience” next winter, according to resort bosses in America.
As skiers and snowboarders look eagerly towards the end of 2020 and subsequently the beginning of a new season there are many questions around how resorts will operate and what life in the mountains will be like.
“No doubt, next ski season will be more of an old school experience, but that could also translate to less noise, fewer distractions and, hopefully, more meaning,” said Mike Kaplan, president and CEO of Aspen Skiing Company, in an open letter to its customers this week.
Aspen in Colorado is one of America’s leading resorts – it has four separate ski areas, Aspen Mountain (Ajax), Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass popular with local and international visitors alike.
It was recently revealed that ski resorts in America lost out on $2bn of business due to the pandemic and loss of visitors – a huge blow especially as it was on track to be the fourth best winter for visitor numbers on record.
But now, as resorts in the States begin to welcome summer visitors, sights are firmly set on the upcoming ski season and Kaplan is keen to keep an open mind and sees the reopening as an opportunity to reset the balance, saying the pandemic has “created valuable new perspectives.”
“Like everything in our lives pre-Covid skiing and snowboarding had become somewhat frantic. Many of us were caught up in the conquests – tracking our bowl laps and vertical – rather than fully appreciating the moments,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to refocusing on the core of what this sport is all about, what this place enables: a chance to connect deeply – with nature, with our physical selves and movements, and even with our sense of purpose and our roles in society.”
“Understandably, many people want a return to ‘normal’ – but perhaps we can do better than that,” said Kaplan
His letter details a number of procedures that the resort will bring in next winter, admitting some visitors will find them “annoying.”
New measures include reducing capacity on chairlifts and gondolas, as well as contact between visitors and staff. Social distancing and face coverings will be required in all restaurants, ticket offices, ski schools and other indoor areas. To combat this the resort is looking to expand outdoor seating areas at restaurants and abrs, with new covering and heaters is possible.
A lot of the ski holiday experience will undergo a digital transformation, from buying lift passes, signing safety waivers, reading menus, ordering and making payments. It’s hoped this streamlined approach will reduce the need to wait in queues and congestion around the resort.
“We don’t have all the answers yet, but we are doing everything possible to anticipate how to open on time and stay open all winter,” said Kaplan.
Aspen’s senior vice president of strategic planning Rich Burkley revealed further information in a video conference with local authorities this week. There are suggestions mountain restaurants will encourage takeaway services with new outdoor picnic areas built, rather than seated dining, ski storage lockers may be out of service and there will be efforts to spread skiers out across its four mountains, according to the Aspen Times.
However, as much as it's the resort’s responsibility to put new rules in place and protect its staff and visitors as best as it can, Kaplan insists skiers and snowboarders have a responsibility to protect themselves and others, like they usually do on the slopes.
“Just like in skiing, we each must take responsibility for our own safety and absolutely avoid endangering others. If we can all own our roles and live them, I know we will open on time and remain open as long as the snow allows,” he said.
The resort is part of the global Ikon lift pass, which allows holders to ski or snowboard in 43 different destinations around the world under one ticket. Passes are currently available for next winter, but Ikon has brought in an industry-first assurance policy, which allows pass holders to defer their 2020/21 passes to 2021/22 or receive credit for days they aren’t able to ski for free, if the pandemic forces resorts to close again.
“We will only go back to business as usual at the ski areas and in our restaurants and hotels when the science and health experts give us the unanimous ‘all clear.’ Until then, we’ll be serious and vigilant about keeping one another safe,” concluded Kaplan.
