Tour operators key to record winter
The sales manager for the Telluride Ski and Golf Company hopes to have a record-breaking winter. If it happens, he says, tour operators will be a major reason for the avalanche of business. “We pride ourselves in our strong relationships with our ski tour operators,” said Ted Loehr, whose Telluride Ski and Golf Company comprises an umbrella agency promoting the famous ski area in Colorado. Mr Loehr hopes to draw 380,000 visitors this winter, which would be more than last year’s 367,000. The nature of Telluride, usually uncrowded, is part of its appeal. It is also somewhat off the beaten track since it’s more than an hour’s drive from the nearest airport in Montrose. Good snow conditions — 42 inches of snow fell during one recent five-day period – has also helped draw more visitors, but Mr Loehr says the 40 or so domestic and international tour operators are also a major boost. They account for more than 10% of the winter visitors here. One perk he offers operators is multi-day discounted lift tickets. “They can sell them at below window prices,” he said. That can be a significant amount since window-purchased daily tickets are $69, in part to pay for a recent $15 million addition of new high-speed lifts in an expansion of the resort. Telluride has long been known as a place for “expert: skiers, but Mr Loehr pointed out that he has a “well-rounded mountain.” That means 38% of the slopes are for experts, another 38% are for intermediate skiers, and that leaves 22% of the area for beginners. Telluride, which began as a mining town more than a century ago, has a highly walkable and historic downtown. The area, in common with many other ski destinations in Colorado, in recent years has attempted to increase its off-winter visitor counts. Telluride’s strategy has been to add summer and fall events after the ski season, which generally runs from Thanksgiving to the first Sunday in April. “We’re the summer festival capital of the Rockies. We almost have a different festival in Telluride every weekend, “said Mr Loehr. Report by David Wilkening
David
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