Industry News
***UPDATED on 3/15/20 at 9:30am PT
Taos announced on March 13th that they were going to close for the season on March 22nd, but now they will close today.
Taos Press Release:
Taos Ski Valley to Close Today to Help Prevent COVID-19 Spread
TAOS SKI VALLEY, NM, March 15, 2020 – Taos Ski Valley today took the proactive step to close for the remainder of the 2019-2020 ski season effective 5:00 pm today to help prevent COVID-19 spread. Taos Ski Valley had initially alerted skiers it planned to be open through March 22 and has now made the difficult decision to close immediately out of an abundance of caution and care for the community, employees, and guests.
“We are making decisions based on the very rapidly changing nature of this situation. Due to decisions in Colorado that are reverberating throughout the mountain resort industry, we feel the only responsible action is to suspend operations at 5:00 pm today. We are taking best efforts to attend to our staff, guests, and community’s well-being.” said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley.
The Blake at Taos Ski Valley is closed immediately, but will continue to serve its current guests until all can safely return home. No further reservations will be accepted. Taos Air will operate until out-bound guests have returned home.
Except for current guests in the hotels, resort-owned restaurants, retail, and other facilities will be closed at 5:00 p.m. today.
Additional information about this closure can be found at www.skitaos.com.
***ORIGINAL ARTICLE from 3/13/20
Taos ski resort in New Mexico just announced that they will be closing early this season due to the Coronavirus.
Taos will close for the season on March 22nd.
This is the first major ski resort to close early due to Coronavirus in North America and very likely not the last.
Taos is one of the most legendary ski resorts in North America and high on our list of Top 10 Ski Resorts in North America.
TAOS SKI RESORT PRESS RELEASE:
Taos Ski Valley Modifies its Scheduled Closing Date to March 22
TAOS SKI VALLEY, NM, March 13, 2020 – Amidst the rapidly developing COVID-19 situation, Taos Ski Valley plans to close the ski resort for the remaining two weeks of the originally scheduled 2019-2020 ski season. Sunday, March 22 is the new scheduled closing date and this will include The Blake at Taos Ski Valley hotel, and Taos Air service from Texas and California. All remaining events, including the World Pro Ski Tour World Championships scheduled for April 10 – 12, 2020, have been canceled.
“Our values compel us to make business decisions that are equitable for all. While we are planning this step proactively to help mitigate the potential spread of the virus, we recognize this plan will impact our staff, guests, and many local small businesses, and we do not take it lightly. We have determined this is currently the best course of action while balancing stakeholder interests and considerations,” said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley. “This timing enables visitors to cancel or reschedule their planned trips, our staff to wind down duties, and local small businesses to plan for the impact they will experience, too. Of course, this is a rapidly changing situation in New Mexico and around the world and we will continue monitoring developments closely.”
Between now and March 22, Taos Ski Valley will also implement new social distancing practices as additional cautionary measures, and will continue to follow CDC guidelines for hygiene and disinfecting public spaces.
Decisions about summer operations have not been made. Taos plans to make those determinations in the coming weeks and will announce plans at the appropriate time.
“We want to thank our staff, guests, local businesses, and partners who have made this ski season a tremendous success,” continued Norden. “While it is disappointing to end our season early, we have no doubt Taos’ renaissance will continue to flourish for years to come.”
Taos Ski Valley is offering flexibility for guests to reschedule or request a full refund on reservations at The Blake, on Taos Air, or those who purchased their lift tickets in advance online.
