Vail Resorts became the first major ski resort operator in Colorado to publish details of the COVID-19 protocols they plan to implement for the upcoming ski season, announcing that a reservation system will be set up to limit numbers and keep visitors safe to keep.
Recognizing that his plan would be an “inconvenience” to visitors, Chief Rob Katz outlined procedures for social distancing on elevators, gondolas and in mountain restaurants in a detailed five-page letter to pass on holders who went out Thursday morning.
“It goes without saying that operations at our 34 North American resorts will comply with all local regulations, but for us that is exactly where safety begins,” Katz’s letter said. “Since the beginning of this crisis, we have made a commitment to all our stakeholders that we will operate in a way that puts safety first and uses the insights we have gained from serving so many resorts around the world. This often means choosing to go above and beyond all that is necessary to do our best to provide you with peace of mind. “
Vail Resorts has five resorts in Colorado, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte. Highlights of the protocols announced Thursday include:
- Guests will be required to wear face masks on mountains and in any area of resort facilities, including lifts, on elevators and in gondola cars.
- Only related parties (guests skiing or riding together) are loaded together on lifts, with exceptions: Two unrelated parties may be allowed on chair lifts for four persons, seated on opposite sides of the chair; two unrelated singles or couples may sit on opposite sides of chairs with six persons; two singles may sit on opposite sides of gondola rides.
- A reservation system that maintains priorities for Epic Pass holders will be implemented to limit numbers and ensure that guests have the space they need at the resort. Passholders will be required to make a reservation before arriving at the resort. The number of lift tickets sold to the general public on any given day will depend on how many pass holders have made reservations, and they will only be sold online or through Vail Resorts call centers.
Only Epic Pass holders will have access to Vail Resorts mountains through December 7th. 7. Passholders are also entitled to priority reservation days so that they can block their visits before lift tickets are on sale to the general public.
“For the vast majority of the days in the season, we believe that anyone who wants to come to our mountains will be able to,” Katz wrote. “However, we are not planning for the majority of days, we are planning for each day of the season. We want to provide assurance to our guests that we will do our best to minimize congestion at all times – whether it is a holiday weekend or “We believe that this approach will help ensure a safe experience for all, while giving priority to access for our managers.”
The attempt to limit numbers is less about the carrying capacity of mountain trails and more about bottlenecks such as elevators, lift lines, restaurants and toilets. Full-service sit-down restaurants will reduce seating to allow for social distance. Full-service bars will not be in operation, but packaged beer and wine will be sold.
The protocols were formulated with the hope of ensuring that once Vail Resorts mountains are open for skiing, they can stay open. Keystone is scheduled to open Nov. 6, if conditions allow.
“Each of our resorts will continue to work closely with all of our local community stakeholders to review the details of our winter plans and to ensure we remain in our collective approach of the season,” Katz wrote. “Success for this season can only happen with close cooperation and partnership in each community. While we have designed our winter business plan to comply with and sometimes exceed all known applicable laws, our operations will remain under the local regulations at each of our resort locations. Please understand that these may change at any time, either before or during the ski season. We will try to communicate changes – and how they may affect our operations – as soon as we become aware of them. Our resorts will have a specific page on each of their websites that will provide the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 effects. ”
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