Making first tracks at Park City Mountain last week, it hit me again that living in our vibrant mountain ski town never gets old. Nothing matches the energy of skiing down the mountain, relaxing with an après ski, talking with the fantastic people we know and the passion they feel for our town, and savoring the vigorous dynamic of Main.

Parkites work together to keep it that way. Along with nature’s priceless gifts, we can thank the committed people and robust infrastructure that draw visitors who underwrite our prosperity with their purchases, sales tax and room tax dollars.

Visitation keeps our economy humming, as shown by hotel bookings and average daily rates. These two critical KPIs were in positive territory headed into March ’25 compared to last year, and looking at the next six months, the same indicators give us reason to be optimistic.

The 20 Park City lodging properties that report to DestiMetrics make up 45 percent of available local rooms. At the end of January, weeks before our recently improved conditions, they reported March paid occupancy at 53 percent, 3 percentage points higher than last year. Average Daily Rates going into March stood at $930, $15 higher than last year.

The positive trends continue when we examine reservations on the books over the next six months, up a healthy 5.3 percent from last year’s identical six-month period. Encouragingly, the warmer months of May through August are all trending above last year’s advanced paid occupancy rates. Revenues at the reporting lodging properties improved in the 12 months ending Jan. 31, increasing 6 percent.

Local sales and room tax collections, a measure of consumer spending, have also been strong.

Though there are no guarantees, the data indicates that our resorts, hotels and small businesses, from spas to ski shops, will have opportunities to prosper in the months ahead.

Heading into spring, we continue positioning Park City as a desirable destination that also honors responsible, sustainable visitation that aligns with the way we live. We’ve seen that ethos emerge again and again in the recent opportunities we’ve had to speak up on community direction.

Last week, residents focused on traffic and transportation at a city-sponsored open house updating the General Plan. In the recently completed Community Survey, Parkites selected keeping our small town feel and preserving our natural setting as top priorities.

The online chamber survey, which was open to anyone in Summit County to express opinions on our $2.2 billion tourism industry, closed just last week. We’ll have the results soon.

With conditions justifying (always cautious) optimism, we’re fired up for our third annual Snow Day on March 27 at Park City Mountain, where everyone from the front lines to the C suite gets together for a day of fun, community and culture.

We’ll hit the slopes after meeting up at 8:30, and cap off the day with a lively après party at Legacy Lodge from 4-6 p.m. with appetizers by Chef Tabitha Degnan and music from DJ Cam Reeve.

You can even join a Silver to Slopes Historic Mining Tour at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m., a memorable way to immerse yourself in Park City history. Chamber partners, see your March 6 e-newsletter for details and register today!