The ski industry in Utah better brace themselves for future drop offs in profits at these resorts. With the economy and credit crunch people aren't so willing any more to put themselves in more debt for high cost vacations. And skiing is a high cost vacation. All recreational activities will show a major downturn and Utah will become a ghost town as a choice of destination. The Utah legislators better take notice in the downturn in tax revenues also a plan ahead for it. This doesn't mean go out and spend millions of dollars on national advetising to a public that can't afford us anymore. The recession, unemployment, underemployment, and job loss is here in Utah whether the state government wants to believe it or not. Utah's dependence on tourism is about to bust and the jobs that go with it. Now is not the time for our governor to lie to the public or make big plans for spending tax dollars on plans and projects for the tourist inductry. Our legislators need a reality check and make some smart decisions on being frugal with the budget and its resources. This decline in the sking industry is a warning.

Bob G- as the dollar dives, here in So. Utah the parks are becoming packed with foreign tourists for whom the trip is now very cheap. Fewer and fewer Americans may make Grand Circle trips, but the Germans and Japanese are coming by the busload. At least half the people I see at the parks these days are foreign nationals on vacation. They don't seem to hold back the spending when it comes to food and shopping from what I see because everything seems so cheap to them because of our devalued currency.

But I do agree about government spending.

I believe Utah needs to be creative when marketing to the general U.S. population. As Bob states, we are moving into a recession and with travel costs on the rise, if you can't get a deal at your destination, you'll stay home. Come up with free transportation from the airport or other perks that make it worth the trip. Just having good snow, for the general tourist, isn't enough. As FT reports, foreigners that have a currency advantage will be a large part of the tourist dollar but having U.S. tourists here also adds to the possibility of new residents, and THAT's a tax base that legislators can't ignore.

More foreign skiers this year... a lot more. When our dollar weakens foreign travel to the US increases and picks up the slack. Foreigners tend to spend more money than locals on food, liquor, rentals, lodging, etc.

Not the "doom and gloom", glass half empty that Bob G. thinks. For the ski industry the glass was not not just full... it was filled to the brim.

If you belived all the gloomy stories and opinions you get each day in this forum you would be even more gloomy that Bob G.

It would go something like this... Ski resorts need to enjoy the snow while it lasts. With Global Warming, within 5 years Snowbird will have no snow. But that doesn't matter because we will have no affordable gasoline, so you won't be able to get there anyway (unless I get the atomic-powered flying car they promised me 25 years ago or they can build a solar-powered trax line up the canyon). And even if I got there I couldn't afford a lift ticket because of the economic depression we are in.

While in NYC I met a 4 different people who commented on a Snowbird hat I was wearing. Some were from NYC, one from Boston, and one from Europe. All had been skiing in Utah and enjoyed the mountains and snow, but none said they would return. The reason was the same each time. Alcohol laws.
While on vacation, these folks wanted to party, as well as ski, and found the membership rules, early closing times, and other restrictive laws to be a deterrent of ever returning. Some skied in Utah over a decade ago when things were even more rigid, but still couldn't be persuaded times have changed.
Utah has a perception whether true or outdated, but it truly does effect the tourism economy. As the saying goes, perception is reality.

As a physician, I appreciate the alcohol laws. I've practised with and without them, and they help prevent motor vehicle accidents. Drunken partiers kill people. Please don't use that argument.

Personally I'm one who doesn't care if the liquor laws were changed. I don't think it changes anyone's behavior.

However on the other hand... I don't think we should feel pressure to change our way of life because a few outsiders don't like the way we live.

Seems to me Snowbird isn't struggling, so evidently a few people have overcome the liquor law hang-up.

If the main reason the 3 boozers won't come to Utah is they didn't get enough booze the first time... I think we can probably get along without them.

I travel a lot too and frequently ask my friends about what they know about Utah. I rarely get the liquor law complaint from someone who has actually been here. I get it a lot from people who have just heard rumors. On planes landing in SLC you can pick the first timers (they are talking to friends in their group about how they can find a drink in Utah). On flights out of SLC I start conversations with the ski-pasengers mostly to see what their impressions were. Drinking is rarely mentioned.

But you are right, "Perception is reality". Especially for first timers.

There is a misconception in Utah that increasing the hassles of getting a drink discourages drinking. Absolutely wrong. It just makes people angry enough to take their dollars elsewhere. Tax revenues also suffer from a comunistic state controlled industry. Over taxing the stuff decreases revenue and increases contraband from Wyoming and Nevada. Prohibition doesn't work. Just ask Al Capone.

I seriously doubt if Utah's confusing liquor laws decrease drinking for locals. People who can afford to travel to Utah are used to good service, and probably find our goofy laws irritating and just vow to go to Colorado on their next trip.