I’m enjoying the pre-holiday feeling that we have the mountain all to ourselves, made sweeter by knowing the moment is fleeting as the ski and snowboard season that drives our prosperity emerges.
Please join us and savor the moment with friends and colleagues on Mountainkind Morning, Wednesday, Dec. 11, when participating coffee shops offer a free Mountainkind mug and drip coffee from 7 to 10 a.m.
The cool-looking mugs will help spread the Mountainkind word while making an attractive addition to your kitchen or office. And who doesn’t love free coffee? See which of your favorite coffee spots are participating at ParkCityChamber.com/mountainkind-morning.
A fresh cuppa will also kick start your local holiday shopping, and we have a new way for you to support local businesses this year — the Mountainkind eGift Card. Dozens of Park City merchants already honor this valuable innovation, with more joining daily.
Purchasing a Mountainkind Gift Card online is easy, and a convenient conduit for channeling holiday cheer to friends and family while keeping your shopping dollars circulating locally.
Even better, when you buy an eGift Card ranging from $25 to $200, you receive a bonus gift of 50 percent of the face value (limit two per purchaser), valid for an entire year from the purchase date. Reward yourself or expand the shopping horizons of a loved one this Christmas with a new Mountainkind eGift Card. Find details at ParkCityChamber.com/mountainkind-card.
We’ll keep the holiday cheer going for chamber partners and their guests on Dec. 12 with the last after-hours mixer of 2024 at our Kimball Junction Visitor Center, 1749 Olympic Parkway, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
With fresh snow on the ground, it’s the perfect time to see our team in operation at the recently remodeled center, where friendly staff and volunteers set the tone for responsible, respectful visitation and many return visits with a warm greeting, helpful information and a welcoming spirit that makes visitors feel part of the Mountainkind community.
Please join us in mixing with friends old and new while sampling treats and beverages from Park City Desserts and Top Shelf.
Anticipating what the season will bring is always an informed and interesting “best guess.” The most recent Longwood International consumer sentiment survey reports that 91 percent of travelers have a trip in mind this winter. They are less worried about personal finances and transportation prices affecting their decisions, but concern about inflation is up 4 percent since January; 30 percent say rising prices would impact their decision to travel.
DestiMetrics advanced booking data is one of our sturdiest bellwethers, offering a broad view of what’s ahead. The most recent data released in October, weeks before the election, our first snows and prior to the full launch of our Mountainkind winter campaign and media tours, showed December advance bookings slightly behind the 2023-24 season until Christmas week, when they edged slightly above 2023-24. Bookings then dipped below last year’s numbers but pick up considerably after the third week in January and exceeded last year’s bookings through the first week of March.
Destimetrics reports similar data from our competitor destinations such as Aspen, Breckenridge and Jackson. The numbers show we are above our competitors’ average advance bookings from December all the way through February.
I can feel the energy building for the holidays along with the high hopes for the 2024-25 season as our Mountainkind campaign moves into high gear across the country. I look forward to sharing the good vibes with you during Mountainkind Morning on Dec. 11 and at the After Hours Mixer at the Visitor Information Center on Dec. 12.
Jennifer Wesselhoff is the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.