European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Tough time Are toning a Industry to compete Man aggressively for Cut Tomota Here capper Mountain resort Well of Denver Ink us a Mem i Tammi by Thomas  new York times Hen Ann Swerdloff arrived in Colorado she planned to spend most of her week s vacation skiing the powdery slopes of the Breckenridge ski area. But Swerdloff and about 40 other skiers found themselves zipping Down Vail Mountain instead Courtesy of a free 25-mile bus ride to Vail and discounted lilt tickets from Vail associates inc this is fantastic said Swerdloff an executive Secretary Lor Symbolics inc., an electronics concern in a Lon mass. I be always wanted to ski Vail and the bus makes it very  free bus rides discount lift tickets bargain prices at restaurants and motels and better ski facilities Are becoming More common throughout Colorado As the. Ski Industry laced with tougher Lions begins to compete Mic aggressively Lor customers it s anybody s ballgame you can t rely on anything anymore said Robert w. Ames an Olli Cial with the Vail resort association a group that promotes the Vail area any ski area Hal is not extremely aggressive is going to be  in recent years Colorado s downhill ski Industry has taken an economic Tumble. S getting older despite Tea trend the economic news Imp Ovod m february As Colorado ski resorts recorded a record number of visits about 2 million according to Colorado ski country Usa an organization hat represents the slate s major ski resorts. John Lay the group s president attributed the upswing to generous snowfall and Good ski conditions. A Survey published recently by its University of Colorado s business research division showed thai Colorado ski resorts lost an average of $809,000 last year mainly because of increasing labor and insurance costs and expensive new Lills. One ski area Lake Eldora near Boulder has gone out of business and several others have been purchased by other companies that trend is evident in other parts of the country As Well. According to the National ski areas association. The number of ski areas in the United states has dropped to 650 today from 882 in 1979 most of those falling by the Wayside Are victims of poor planning mismanage no and increased com Elilion ski Industry officials said the big ski areas Are getting bigger and the Small ones Are disappearing said Jerry Jones executive vice president of Vail associates the Competition is getting a lot More sophisticated and the players Are willing to Pul a lot More Money behind it " Vail associates for example is spending $9 million this season for new chair tills a clubhouse a racing Center and other improvements i Aspen another lop Colorado ski area 30 percent of the hotels and moles have Neon renovated in recent years this summer the Vail resort association  spend $3 6 million to promote Vail in eight major cities. Irom Washington to los Angeles. Now that the Hood of new skiers has dried up. The Industry has gotten More competitive " said Kevin Owen director of sales and promotion with the Aspen resort association you be had to became better the resorts Are offering a bewildering variety of monday March 23, 1987 bargains this Winter. At Aspen Highlands a family of six on a week s vacation can ski for $8 a person a Day instead of the $25 to $30 that is usually charged Lor a one Day lift ticket at Breckenridge skiers can gel four Days of skiing and lodging for Tho Price of three. And at crested suite first time skiers in december received a lilt ticket equipment lessons and hotel room All leu $25 you can gel a lot for your  said Charles Praneuf a skier irom Fitchburg mass mho Rode Iho bus from Breckenridge to Vail on his vacation Las month. The thing about it is the bus ride was free and the lift ticket was Only $25 normally you d have to pay $3q," Daspina the harder times in the ski Industry the sidewalks of Vail were crowded with skiers recently. Something local merchants attributed to the president s Day weekend the resort s Chic and trendy image and the Lack of Snow in places like Idaho. Utah and California i Don t hear too Many business people crying the Bhicks this year said Tern Lamia. A Saleswoman at the bag and pack shop in Vail business started Oft with a Boom and has been Good All  Tho Mam reason Lor that said Ames is that California ski resorts did nol open for thanksgiving or Christmas and we be always had Good customer Lay i by Oul of the new York area "1 plus to added we re doing a Good Job of drawing people to the area for the first Lime Vail is courting Colorado skiers try Oil eng discount lilt tickets along the front Range of the Rockies another move designed to lure skiers away from areas closer to Denver like Keystone Breckenridge and Copper Mountain the aggressive marketing has disturbed iome competing resorts. They re ready Upsel because to arc using their base Jones said. People arc coming to key Lono Ancl  and Hen coming to Vail to ski. They Don i want that to increase the stars and stripes Page 13