Aspen and Snowmass Village had a record-setting amount of hotel reservations this fall. But winter bookings are still lackluster. This fall hit a high water mark with overnight bookings, following on a busy summer. A long stretch of good weather plus last-minute reservations in October played a big role.
But that doesn’t make this winter an easy bet. “Because some of the international business is so far down,” says Bill Tomcich, President of Stay Aspen Snowmass, the resort’s central reservations agency. “So if you look ahead at the occupancies, they look ok, and we’re definitely building momentum, but there’s no denying the fact that we’ve got some pretty serious holes to fill throughout the winter months.”
For example, Brazilian and Australian tourists aren’t booking as much as usual. Tomcich says beefed-up marketing campaigns are in the works now to attract more domestic travelers. More airline service is scheduled for Aspen’s airport, which may translate into more reservations in the coming weeks.
