Bookings and room rates at western mountain resorts continued to improve in October, but overall occupancy and rates continues to lag significantly behind their level of two years ago, according to data released by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP)


Actual occupancy for October 2010 was up 12.9% among participating MTRiP destinations while average daily rate was up 4.1%.  Bookings during October for the coming season are trending up for arrivals in every single month, most notably with October up 21.1% and the crucial holiday month of November up 13.7%.


For the coming season, on-the-books occupancy as of Oct. 31 for November is up 14.6% compared to the same period in 2009 while the daily rate for November is down 0.7%.  For the next six months, November–April, on-the-books year-over-year occupancy is up 2.7% from the same period in 2009-10 while the daily rate is only up 0.1%.


“Many lodging destinations are getting their best deals out early to encourage consumer bookings and it seems to be working,” explained Garrison. “Occupancy is up and rates are essentially tracking the same as with last year’s discounts. The pattern suggests an ongoing buyer’s market and that is good news for consumers.”


MTRiP data is derived from a sample of 265 property management companies in 15 mountain destination communities, representing 24,000 rooms across Colorado, Utah, California, and Oregon and may not reflect the entire mountain destination travel industry. Results may vary significantly among/between resorts and participating properties.