It's hard to find a travel company that doesn't claim to offer the best customer service. But for those of us who travel, customer service is often lacking, and finding a company that will treat you with respect can be a challenge.
19.01.2024 - 11:51 / forbes.com
The number of seniors on the slopes has reached epic proportions. In 2020-21 seniors accounted for 16.1% of skier visits, totaling 59 million, while a record 10.5 million seniors participated in the sport according to the National Ski Areas Association. Contrary to popular belief, not all seniors are snowbirds who fly south at the first sign of winter.
Heather Stanford, marketing director at Swain Resort in New York, explains, “Our senior skiers are the heart and soul of this community. Many of them are responsible for multiple generations of skiers and riders. They understood how to keep our industry moving forward. It's great to be able to give back to them.”
Ski resorts vary greatly by not only terrain, but also by how they accommodate senior skiers. And with the price of lift tickets now rising faster than yeast in a New York City bagel shop, these seniors appreciate any discounts that are available. Type of terrain is also of utmost importance for seniors, and the majority of seniors now prefer leisurely, groomed runs with plenty of elbow room. Other preferences are short or no lift lines along with enough beginning terrain where they can teach younger generations the basic fundamentals of the sport. These North American ski resorts roll out the red carpet for their senior skiers.
Gunstock, New Hampshire
Gunstock is in its 85th year of operation, so a few senior skiers even remember Gunstock in its infancy and have watched it develop over the years into a four-season resort. Daily lift tickets are free for folks 70 and older, but the $49 Golden Pass allows them to go straight to the lift from their car. “We love offering 70 and older skiers and riders a discounted season pass because they are an inspiration to us all,” says Bonnie MacPherson, marketing director. “We find that many of our senior guests come midweek and love to reminisce about Gunstock's early days when it was called the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area and had a single chairlift.”
Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire
Home to Silver Streaks, the longest-running senior skiing program in the country, Waterville Valley Resort offers a thriving social scene for seniors alongside an authentic skiing experience. For skiers ages 50 plus, Silver Streaks is a ski program with certified instructors, staffed organization and socials. They offer both Nordic and Alpine groups, meeting mid-week throughout the winter. The resort offers $20 off lift ticket window prices to seniors ages 65-79. For those ages 80 plus, lift tickets are free. Skilled groomers cover 100% of terrain daily, providing soft, fresh corduroy for senior skiers. The longest trail, Oblivion, boasts a length of 3,210 feet and covers 6.8 acres.
Smugglers' Notch Resort, Vermont
It's hard to find a travel company that doesn't claim to offer the best customer service. But for those of us who travel, customer service is often lacking, and finding a company that will treat you with respect can be a challenge.
Spirit Airlines is expanding its presence in South Carolina, adding flights from Charleston to Boston and New York City this spring.
When people plan trips to national parks and protected areas across the United States, they hope to see the wolves of Yellowstone or the alligators of the Everglades. But talk to any bug scientist, and they’ll tell you that the best things come in small packages.
National parks are beloved attractions in the US.
It just got a little more expensive to stay at many popular casino hotels. MGM Resorts, the parent company of some of the largest casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, recently increased resort fees at many of their properties, with some topping out at $50. The fees, which are added after a reservation is made, drive up the total cost of a reservation. The increase will vary between $2 and $6 per night, depending on the property, MGM Resorts shared with Travel + Leisure. Specifically, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas the resort fee, now $45, provides services such as unlimited local and domestic phone calls, airline boarding pass printing, digital newspaper, fitness center access and in-room Wi-Fi. The fee also provides complimentary access to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME On Demand, with the in-room television. Here are the current resort fees at MGM Resorts: ARIA Resort & Casino — $50.00 Bellagio Hotel & Casino — $50.00 Delano Las Vegas — $45.00 Excalibur Hotel & Casino — $37.00 Luxor Hotel & Casino — $37.00 Mandalay Bay — $45.00 MGM Grand Las Vegas — $45.00 New York-New York Hotel & Casino — $42.00 NoMad Las Vegas — $42.00 Park MGM — $42.00 Vdara Hotel & Spa at ARIA Las Vegas — $50.00
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For frequent flyers the varying amount of legroom on airplanes can be difficult to navigate. A recent study analyzed the amount of available legroom on varying airlines’ most popular routes, and ranked them in order of most legroom to least legroom. The clear winner was JetBlue while Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines tied in 7th place, according to the study from Upgraded Points. The full ranking for the airline seat legroom is:
An upcoming Russian tourist trip to North Korea is the first such inbound visit by vacationers there in four years. When people think of that country under the strict dictatorship of Kim Jong Un, they don’t think of tourism. So many will have questions about what kind of travel is possible.
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Perhaps no other sport rolls out the red carpet for festive activities more than skiing. After all, skiers as a whole are an active group who enjoy spending time outdoors either by being part of the action or as spectators watching spirited competitions and special events take place. As such, ski resorts present a wide variety of activities designed to thrill and entertain. The following ski resort events and activities are sure to draw large and enthusiastic crowds.
Among the last countries to resume tourism activities post-pandemic, North Korea is set to welcome its first international tourists in February, marking the end of its border closure since January 22, 2020. And tourists, especially in Russia, are taking note.
The holiday season may have come and gone, but «wave season» is officially here.