“It’s a slip, not a fall.”

That flashed through my mind the first time I knocked one ski out from underfoot with the other, catching myself. The thought has come back again and again as I process the impact of Sundance’s pending departure for Colorado.

A slip, not a fall.

This is not to underestimate the economic and cultural impact. Sundance adds tens of millions to Park City annually, from hotels and restaurants to ride shares and stylists. It contributes to tax revenues that fund public services our residents enjoy. Culturally, the festival broadened our international appeal as a sophisticated mountain town open to new ideas, generating billions of dollars’ worth of media value over the years.

But none of these adverse effects is insurmountable. Sundance crowds can discourage some skiers from visiting. Will enthusiastic skiers snap up those rooms (and restaurant reservations, etc.) in the future? They will, and we’ll do our best to make it happen.

We glimpsed life without Sundance when the festival was canceled in 2021 and went virtual in 2022. We weathered these tough times with innovation, resilience, collaboration and mutual support.

Of course, those were COVID years with many fewer travelers and enormous uncertainty, which is not the case today.

This February, skiers turned out in big numbers. The 19 hotels that report to Destimetrics recorded their highest February occupancy in five years. Hotel revenue jumped 19 percent from last year to $80.9 million, and Airbnb and VRBO revenue rose 13 percent.

Average daily rates increased 2 percent to $970. Lest you think this was solely Sundance-related, the trend continued throughout February and into March, when preliminary numbers show a 3 percent occupancy increase and a 2 percent increase in ADR. 

Of course, lodging numbers don’t reflect the full economic picture, but it gives us a good sense of the impacts, as overnight guests directly correlate with overall visitor spending across all tourism sectors. 

We do know that leisure travelers won’t spend the way corporate sponsors do with buyouts of restaurants, galleries and shops. Those businesses will be impacted, along with the transportation providers, event organizers and other small businesses who feel the trickle-down affect.

Sundance has been vital to our brand identity as a community that welcomes artists, new ideas and cultural movers. Now that it is leaving, we must elevate the plethora of artists all around us — photographers, sculptors, painters, dancers, musicians, poets and writers — so Park City continues to shine as a beacon of diverse human expression, a quality crucial to a sustainable future.

The Sundance episode also demonstrates tourism’s fragility. Although our premier standing as “Winter’s Favorite Town” is only growing with ski industry investment and new terrain and infrastructure, we must vie with destinations around the Mountain West for the same high-end guests during the traditional 150 days of the winter season.

We need to be out there constantly making our case. Life without Sundance means amping up our artistic and cultural message as we lean into summer’s sun-splashed outdoor activities and events unique in the Mountain West.

I’m proud of the proposal that Salt Lake, Salt Lake County, Summit County, Park City, Gov. Cox and the Legislature helped put before Sundance. It was our very best effort, addressing affordability and accessibility concerns while offering substantial financial and in-kind support. 

And our collaboration continues. Just days after the Sundance announcement, I was in Washington with Utah Office of Tourism Director Natalie Randall and officials from around the state to advocate for more efficient airport customs, air traffic control, visa cap increases and expedited processing, resources for our national parks and upcoming 2034 Winter Games; and we discussed potential impacts of tariffs and political rhetoric on international visitation.

Sundance may be leaving, but we will remain a world class, beautiful, arty, friendly, outdoorsy, year-round community living our commitment to the mountainkind ethos. With the Festival continuing through 2026, we have time to adjust, and adjust we will.

Yes, losing the festival is painful, indeed.

But it’s a slip, not a fall.

Jennifer Wesselhoff is the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.