During the last few weeks I highlighted a few ways resorts try to draw new skiers to their slopes and keep them there. A few years back, Alta, Utah came up with a pretty simple solution. Let them ski for free.

Here’s the catch, there is no catch.

People are so used to catches that Alta surprises them with no blackout days, no ticket required, no nothing. Everyday from 3-4:30 (closing) anyone on skis (Alta is a skiers mountain) can ride the Sunnyside lift for nothing.

Sunnyside is also a detachable triple which makes it easy for beginners to load/unload and the short lift ride gives them plenty of time on the slopes. And the terrain? A long, open beginner run, a few intermediate options off the sides, and even a ridge with powder runs and small cliffs for the advanced skier who brought his girlfriend and needs to pack a few “real” turns under his belt before closing.

If you haven’t skied Alta, you don’t know what your missing. The snow is 2nd to none, especially on the groomers. The difference really is startling when there aren’t boarders on the hill. If Alta can sell new skiers on their snow early on and add in a little “law of reciprocity” from letting folks ski for free, the first time they visit another resort they’ll realize how good it is at Alta and likely be back.

Seems like a pretty solid idea to me. Thoughts?

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.