Here is an article discussing the discount for skiers under the age of 30.  As a senior skier, I'm not happy. But I guess they figure that I'm already "hooked", but they've got to do something to get younger crowd hooked. 

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/vail-resorts-epic-pass-prices-high-discount/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQUhrJjbGNrBBSFHmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHvqS_UpDJCgqIEV0_UYYuYsTrZ36sVJ1TIwVEoHuRz8nrbWRuWeR9cGjjMIu_aem_rzaFA0v8UfudvYw5YZjcUw

They've adopted a model with reasonable season pass prices and ridiculous daily lift ticket prices that manages their risk better in regards to repeat visitors.  However, that model has no room for new people that don't ski regularly.  Ummm, bowling for $20 or skiing for $500 (with rental)?  This is why their visitors are dropping.  As people age out, there isn't an avenue for new people coming in.  If a newbie does give it a shot, they will drop $100 at an indy or even $35 for a night instead of $350 at Vail.  Their model was successful for them at first, because it reorganized an existing population of skiers, but it's going to continually be a problem in the future.

I saw a similar type thing happen with volleyball tournaments where the prices increased as the population aged and could afford it, but then no new people wanted to come out and get beat for those prices, and the tournament system in my area collapsed.  You maximize your profits optimizing for the existing population, but then give up future growth by pricing out new people.  Most people that aren't sure if they want to commit to the sport, but want to give it a try, don't buy a season pass for $1,000, and they don't drop $500 just to try something new that will probably kind of suck for that first day.

itdoesntmatter wrote:

Here is an article discussing the discount for skiers under the age of 30.  As a senior skier, I'm not happy. But I guess they figure that I'm already "hooked", but they've got to do something to get younger crowd hooked. 

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/vail-resorts-epic-pass-prices-high-discount/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQUhrJjbGNrBBSFHmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHvqS_UpDJCgqIEV0_UYYuYsTrZ36sVJ1TIwVEoHuRz8nrbWRuWeR9cGjjMIu_aem_rzaFA0v8UfudvYw5YZjcUw