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- Utah's ski resorts saw 6.5 million skier visits last season, generating $2.51 billion in spending.
- The season contributed $342.6 million in taxes and supported 31,800 direct jobs, according to a report issued Monday.
- Utah residents accounted for over 40% of visits; California led out-of-state visitors at 9%.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's resorts received 6.5 million skier visits last winter, and a new report better shows how those visitors jolted the state's economy.
The 2024-2025 ski season ended with approximately $2.51 billion in spending — which generated $342.6 million in state and local taxes — and it supported about 31,800 direct jobs, according to a report issued Monday by the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
"Utah's ski industry remains a vital component of the state's economy. The 2024-2025 ski season demonstrates the industry's resilience and its ability to attract visitors from around the world, contributing significantly to local communities and the state as a whole," said Jennifer Leaver, the institute's senior tourism analyst and the report's author, in a statement.
Utahns — no surprise — accounted for a large number of visitors at Utah's 15 resorts. Over 40% of all skier visits last year were from locals, while most of the rest of the visits came from elsewhere in the country.
California (9%) topped the list of all out-of-state visitors, followed by Florida and New York (each 4%), Texas (3%) and Colorado (2%), according to the report. International travelers accounted for just 3% of skier visits at Utah's resorts.
Overall spending decreased for the third-straight year, but the report shows last year's spending remains significantly higher than a decade ago.
When adjusted for 2025 inflation, spending reached a peak of nearly $2.8 billion during the 2022-2023 season — a record snow season for the state — when a record 7.1 million skier visits occurred. Utah's resorts generated $1.6 billion in spending during the 2014-2015 season, demonstrating their growth over the past 10 years.
The average skier or snowboarder last year was 48 years old, spending about $306 per day and averaging a 6.4-night stay, according to the report. It also notes a bump in accommodation sales across Salt Lake, Summit and Weber counties, which reached a combined $668 million last season — a $7 million increase over the previous year.
Monday's report comes before the start of the 2025-2026 season, which is slated to launch this month for many resorts.
"The 2024–2025 season once again showed how important skiing and snowboarding are to Utah's economy, communities and way of life," said Nathan Rafferty, president and CEO of Ski Utah. "Strong visitation numbers this year mean more jobs, stronger local businesses and lasting benefits for residents across the state as we look ahead to the 2034 Olympic Winter Games."
