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« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » Crikey! The Aussies Are ComingBy J.D. O'Connor Travel agents in the U.S. and Australia report a dramatic uptick in the number of ski vacations booked by Australian skiers and boarders eager to come play on American shores, er, slopes, particularly those in Colorado. Tour organizers, airlines, and Colorado tourism and ski travel groups have all noted the trend - a whopping 45 percent uptick over last year's Australian visitation statistics, itself a record year. "The increases are even more remarkable considering they are on top of last season's huge increase in Colorado business from Australia," said Sue Baldwin, vice president of business development at Colorado Ski Country. Industry watchers said the booking boom is probably tied to a combination of factors: enticing early season booking deals, a strengthening Australian dollar, and promotions with various U.S. air carriers. David Booth, an independent travel agent based in Sydney, said he is busy booking trips for clients who expressed interest in skiing in the Rockies for years. "There has always been an interest in skiing in the States," he said. "But it has built after we received word of your conditions there the last couple of seasons. This, coupled with the fact that Australians like America and Americans, and that feeling is reciprocated, make Colorado an attractive destination for us." Colorado Ski County reported a 35.7 percent increase in bookings by Australians headed for Colorado's 26 ski areas last season - an estimated 156,000 skier visits out of the total tabulated international visitation of 1.02 million. David Withers of Travelplan, Australia's largest ski holiday organizer, said a paucity of snow in Australia this season may be helping the charge to North America. "Steamboat is leading the charge, currently up 78 percent, but the popular resorts of Aspen/Snowmass, Vail, Telluride and Crested Butte are also experiencing strong early bookings," he said. « Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » |
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