NEWS: Vail Resorts Makes $1.4 BILLION in 2015

Vail Resorts made $1.4 billion in revenue during the 2015 fiscal year.  This is the sixth time in the past decade that Vail’s revenues have topped $1 billion.  This increase in revenue is being attributed to day ticket increases (up to $160 at Vail during holidays) and increases in visitation at their 11 ski resorts.

The bulk of that money earned came directly from operations at Vail Resorts’ 11 ski resorts.  The rest of the revenue came from Vail Resorts’ lodging and real estate.

It’s impressive that Vail was able to make this much money despite the fact their 3 Lake Tahoe, CA ski resorts (Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar) just had the worst snow winter on record and experienced skier visit decreases of 16.4% this year.

Publicly, Vail is attributing their big revenue in 2015 to increases in season pass sales and skier visits at its four Colorado ski resorts.  These four Colorado ski resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge) saw increases in skier visits, retail operations, ski school revenue, and overall spending at its resorts.

VAIL RESORTS 2015 BY THE NUMBERS:

• $1.4 billion in revenue in 2015 fiscal year

• 8.2 million skier visits at Vail Resorts’ 11 ski resorts in 2014/15, a 6.5% increase over the previous season despite a 16.4% decrease in skier visits at its California ski resorts

• Epic Pass sales increased $37.1 million over the previous season’s sales, a 22% increase

• Resort revenue (defined as lodging & mountain earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, & amortization or EBITDA) grew 36% in 2015 to $365.8 million

• Margins on its revenue increased to 25.6% in the 2015 fiscal year

VAIL’S 11 SKI RESORTS

1. Vail, CO
2. Beaver Creek, CO
3. Keystone, CO
4. Breckenridge, CO (the most visited ski resort in the USA)
   
5. Park City, UT (the largest ski resort in the USA)
6. Heavenly, CA
7. Kirkwood, CA
8. Northstar, CA
9. Afton Alps, MN
10. Mount Brighton, MI
11. Perisher, Australia (the largest ski resort in Australia)

Vail Resort’s CEO Rob Katz is feeling good about Vail right now leading him to tell investors last Monday to expect resort earnings anywhere from $405 million and $430 million in 2015/16.  This would be a 16 to 23% increase over the 2014/15 season.

“We expect to drive visitation, pricing and yield growth across our business,” said Rob Katz of the 2016 fiscal year.

VAIL RESORTS REVENUES, EBITDA IN THE LAST

10 YEARS

Fiscal year / total revenue / resort EBITDA (mountain + lodging)

2015: $1.40 billion / $365.8 million

2014: $963 million / $268.8 million

2013: $1.12 billion / $240.9 million

2012: $1.02 billion / $205.3 million

2011: $1.17 billion / $221.9 million

2010: $1.00 billion / $186.4 million

2009: $976 million / $171.1 million

2008: $1.15 billion / $230.8 million

2007: $940 million / $225.9 million

2006: $838 million / $184.3 million