The CEO of Vail Resorts says it’s time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that contributed to building the empire

(SeaPRwire) –   As the 2025-2026 ski season draws to a close, Vail Resorts, the world’s largest ski resort operator, has faced significant challenges. In its home state of Colorado, snowfall was 60% below average through February, and neighboring Utah also experienced low snow levels, leading to a noticeable decline in skier and snowboarder numbers.

This marks the second consecutive difficult winter for Vail. Last year, in addition to insufficient snow in many locations, a 12-day ski patrol strike at its largest resort in Park City, Utah, forced the closure of most runs. This resulted in considerable customer dissatisfaction, with some venture capitalists publicly expressing their frustration on X over extended lift line waits. The situation ultimately contributed to the departure of former CEO Kirsten Lynch a few months later.

Vail’s business model relies heavily on the sale of pre-paid, limited-time passes, typically costing around $1,000, which grant access to numerous resorts across the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, and Australia. Despite the drop in visitors, revenue decreased by only 4.7% in the most recent quarter, primarily due to fewer ski rentals and lodge room bookings. (Visits in North America were down 11.9% through March 1.)

The company is now shifting its focus to the upcoming season. Sales of the Epic Pass have been sluggish for the past couple of years. In response, Vail has brought back its former long-time CEO, Rob Katz, to navigate the company through the impacts of climate change, a slowly growing industry, and increasing competition from other recreational activities.

“We’ve had some challenges, some of which were on us, some of which were not,” Katz, who previously served as CEO from 2006 to 2021, told Fortune earlier this month. “In coming back as CEO, the most important thing was realizing that the industry is different now, the consumer is different, the company is different.”

One area where these changes are evident is in the resort’s pre-paid, multi-resort passes. Under Katz’s previous leadership, Vail pioneered this concept with its Epic Pass (its main competitor, Alterra Mountain Company, offers the Ikon Pass). This model secures revenue and mitigates the impact of weather variability by attracting skiers willing to travel to areas with better snow conditions.

Katz recognizes that the pass, a key business tool, requires revitalization. Some skiers may feel they have not received adequate value for their money over the past two seasons. Additionally, the rising cost of skiing, already an expensive sport, is deterring many younger individuals.

“It’s a matter of making sure that the pass is the best deal,” Katz stated. In early March, just before Vail launched sales for its 2026-27 passes in a significant test of its business strategy, the company announced a 20% price reduction for skiers and riders under the age of 30. Katz also indicated that Vail needs to be more proactive with lift ticket sales to attract skiers who are less inclined to commit to a full pass. “We need to be more aggressive on lift tickets,” Katz said, citing initiatives such as offering 30% off lift tickets when reserved a month in advance.

Vail is also working to broaden its customer base by attracting skiers of color in the U.S. “We don’t see the same kind of market penetration with communities of color as with the white community and we need to continue to expand,” he commented. This objective has been a significant factor in Vail’s continued commitment to its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, even as many other corporations have scaled back or abandoned similar initiatives.

“I think people who come to our resorts don’t all see people who look like them,” Katz observed. “We need to have folks in our company who are reaching and know how to make connections in those communities.” Consequently, Vail has partnered with the National Brotherhood of Snowsports, an advocacy group focused on identifying and nurturing talented skiers of color, among other efforts.

Given the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns, Katz emphasized his focus, and that of his teams, on aspects they can control. “In a year like this, we can’t control the weather. We’ve got to constantly be looking to improve and maybe most importantly, when we don’t get it right, we need to admit it.”

And, naturally, he will be hoping for more snow next season.