Following the most successful winter season on record for lodging properties at 19 mountain destinations in six mountain states, summer occupancies and revenues are continuing that momentum, according to the most recent data released by Denver-based DestiMetrics, a resort travel research organization that tracks reservation and occupancy for participating resorts.

As of May 31, summer occupancy figures are up an aggregated 8.5 percent compared to last summer based on existing bookings for the six months from May through October. Revenue booked for arrival during the summer season has already reached 70 percent of last summer’s total. This represents a 14 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

“With actual occupancy in the month of May up 7.5 percent compared to last year, June bookings currently pacing up 3.9 percent, and the entire summer showing strong growth, it looks like mountain resorts are in good shape to reach their fifth consecutive year of record business,” said Ralf Garrison, director of DestiMetrics. “Summer is a growth opportunity season for mountain destinations and in particular during the last five years as the economy strengthened and the value of year-round diversification has become clear, mountain resorts have been capitalizing on that untapped potential by expanding their recreational offerings, base area amenities, calendar of special events and marketing to a wide audience of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Providing further support for the optimistic outlook was the May booking pace-a figure that tracks reservations. Overall bookings made in May 2015 for the remainder of the summer are up 8.1 percent compared to the same time last year.

Positive economic news continues to provide additional fuel to drive the summer’s travel engine. The Consumer Confidence Index climbed 1.1 points during May and marked the eighth increase in the past 12 months but, more critically, is now 16.1 percent higher than it was a year ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up another 170 points and is also up appreciably from the same time last year-7.7 percent compared to May 2014. And although the national Unemployment Rate went up 1 basis point during May, that slight tick up was attributed to growing workforce participation. In a year-over-year comparison, the unemployment rate is also down considerably from the same time last year.

“The stage is clearly set for an excellent summer with economic indicators that support healthy consumer spending with both consumer confidence and job creation on the rise,” said Tom Foley, operations director for DestiMetrics. “Also boding well for summer travel is the lower cost for fuel with gasoline prices down a dramatic 45 percent from the same time last year…and expected to stay at this level throughout the summer.”

The DestiMetrics data also revealed that lead-time for bookings is also getting longer, following the trend observed in winter bookings for the past two years.

“Longer lead-times for bookings is another reassuring trend for mountain properties as it increases the chances of guests following through with their mountain vacation plans, even if the market or weather events experience a shift from expectations,” summarized Garrison. “When guests make lodging reservations several weeks or even months in advance, there is less impact from economic and weather related fluctuations, and that is good for the entire travel industry.”

DestiMetrics tracks resort performance in mountain destinations, compiling forward-looking reservation data on a monthly basis and aggregating and reporting the results to subscribers at participating resorts. Data for western resorts is derived from a sample of approximately 290 property management companies in 19 mountain destination communities, representing approximately 27,500 rooms across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming, and may not reflect the entire mountain destination travel industry. Results may vary significantly among and between resorts and participating properties.