More Than 2 Million Ski Visits a Year: Idaho’s Snow Economy Is Bigger Than Many Realize

Since the 2020-21 ski season, Idaho’s ski resorts have exceeded two million skier visits each year, according to a new report commissioned by Ski Idaho, a local nonprofit association also known as the Idaho Ski Areas Association (ISAA).

The report, similar to those released in other states by ski industry groups, covers the economic contribution of skiing to Idaho’s economy.

It chronicled a mostly steady rise in ski visitation across The Gem State, with a peak of 2.5 million skier visits during the 2022-23 ski season. The 2024-25 season saw the second-best record of 2.4 million skier visits.

A common form of ski industry lingo, skier visits refers to one person spending all or part of the day on the mountain. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowtubing, and on-duty employees weren’t included in Ski Idaho’s report.

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The report also included a detailed breakdown of where skiers are spending their money in Idaho, focusing on data from the 2023-24 season.

That season, lift ticket and pass expenses were the largest among all the groups, with $95 million going towards mountain access. At $85 million, restaurant and bar spending came in second—lodging and equipment purchases, which clocked in $47 million, tied for third.

In total, Idaho ski spending reached an estimated $402 million during the 2023-24 season, about half of which went towards businesses other than ski resort operators. 

The spending indicates growth in revenue for Idaho’s ski resorts. 

Between winter 2020-21 and winter 2023-24, lift ticket and pass revenue jumped 26%. The totals for food spending and lodging were higher, spiking 51 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the report found that skiing accounts for a significant chunk of Idaho’s travel economy. Depending on the metric used, it lands somewhere between 6% and 8%, according to the report, and accounts for more than 7,000 jobs. The ski industry covers as much as 0.6% of Idaho’s total economy, the report noted—again depending on the metric.

Many out-of-staters are visiting Idaho to play in the snow. Almost half of 2023-24 ski area visitors came from somewhere other than Idaho, accounting for 42.6% of the total. States across the West contributed largely to this total, with Washington, at 12.8%, being the biggest. California and Montana added 5.8% and 2.4%, respectively. 

Overall, the report paints a picture of a growing and thriving local ski industry. This season, however, may involve an economic downturn as states across the West—including Idaho—tangle with a warm and slow start to winter.

Related: How Often Do You Buy Skis? (Poll)