We and all our partners want to thank you for a fantastic year and wish you the happiest of holidays. It’s wonderful to have a snowy December after a late start to the season. When Santa descended on the Town Lift at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, it felt like the holiday and ski season had truly arrived.
I am happy to report that our winter economy is looking strong. Advance bookings for lodging are up double digits for December through February compared to last year, and (fingers crossed) the worker shortage seems to have eased somewhat in our hotels and resorts, as almost 1,200 international workers joined our workforce this season.
The arrival ski season comes as we wrap up the first stage of the Park City Destination Stewardship Plan, a strategy to smoothly integrate our visitors, economy, quality of life, and environment. Right now, we want your thoughts on tourism and lifestyle topics at visitparkcity.com/survey. It takes just a few minutes to air your opinions, and they will be a crucial part of the first iterations of the plan in early 2022. I hope you will participate. The survey will be online soon at visitparkcity.com/survey.
Our next milestone is in late January when we release the results of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s assessment of Park City. Since summer, researchers have been busily evaluating us on more than three dozen international sustainability metrics. Their findings will trigger a lively conversation on the good, the bad and the ugly as we move toward a plan for a well-balanced Park City that will thrive for generations to come.
You may have noticed that we’ve expanded our vision of community engagement this year. For example, the Chamber/Bureau Board of Directors took a position on ballot measures expressing support for the county and Park City School District bonds in October. We feel residents should know where we stand on issues like these. The climate, too. In August, the board endorsed the Utah Climate and Clear Air Pact, joining more than 150 signatories from around the state. Though it is not likely we will endorse individual candidates in local elections, I was proud that we cohosted candidate forums with The Park Record and KPCW this fall.
Park City Pulse is another way to keep sharing more with you. I value the opportunity to speak with you directly in this space, and I am always open to your thoughts and questions at jennifer@visitparkcity.com.
As I was getting my feet on the ground as a new CEO last year, I encountered story after story of how businesses supported each other with creativity and compassion during the COVID shutdowns in 2020. These small business owners inspired our “Small Town Stories” feature in The Park Record each weekend, introducing you to the people behind the Park City storefronts. From small-batch chocolatiers to boutique gym owners and even a hometown distiller, we’re helping you get to know the incredible people who run our small businesses, giving back to Park City and helping us thrive.
So, as we wrap up 2021, we look forward to continuing to work together on climate, lifestyle, economy, environment and related issues while keeping you in touch with the amazing people and families who make up our business community. It’s been a fantastic, inspiring year — and we can’t wait for 2022!
