Like most events last year, 2020’s ski season almost closed down indefinitely – that is, until it didn’t.

When the virus outbreak caused everything to shut down, it seemed like operations would cease for the entire pandemic. Or at least until the next ski season would roll around. Luckily, though, these business owners weren’t ready to go down without a fight. Small pivots here and there resulted in significant differences, which allowed for decent business. What more could you ask for in such an uncertain economic climate?

Unsplash | A cozy winter’s night at Vail Resorts, Colorado

For the second quarter of 2021, the company dominating the US ski scene, Vail Resorts Inc., reported a net income of $147.8 million. This is a sharp 28.4% decline since 2019, even though there was only an 8.2% drop in skier visits this year. The company largely faced losses in the dining and ski school department, which took a 57% and 43% hit, respectively. Since both need human interaction to be successful, there’s not much that can be done to improve.

But, one must do what they must to save their business – and this is exactly what ski resorts are now doing. The following are the changes we can expect to see in ski season 2021.

Bring in the Diversity

Vail has announced a “more customers, fewer crowds” campaign to invite more people of color to their business. The CEO notices white people being the only guest demographic for the company and is working on changing that. He also realizes the lack of opportunity for people of color in the business and is working on spearheading the fight for change in the industry. Its hiring policy will primarily focus on being inclusive. The leadership ranks are experiencing a gender split with about 50% women now working for Vail as compared to almost nil in the past, and complimentary tickets are being distributed amongst the youth of color in surrounding vicinities.

Unsplash | It’s high time we started seeing diversity and inclusion in all industries

Stop Climate Change

There’s another change that Vail aims to spearhead: Climate Change. To set an example, the CEO has announced that by 2030, Vail will be a net-zero company, the first of its kind to make such a claim. They will also be eliminating their impacts on habitats and forests and their landfill waste and emissions.

Bye-Bye to Reservation Culture

In March, Vail put tickets for the 2021-2022 season for a 20% discount, causing ski enthusiasts to go nuts at the news. This gift also came just a few days after the CEO, Rob Katz, informed emailed pass-holders about a key change to Vail’s policy: reservations would no longer be required. Before this, the policy was the main reason behind so many people’s frustration as they wouldn’t be able to ski even in the own backyard terrain.

Unsplash | After all, no one likes waiting in line for hours

Bottom Line

While it is essential to take measures to save your business, especially in the current economic climate, it is also essential to take the “two birds with one stone approach”. There’s always a sustainable alternative to business operations that can benefit both you and your business. You need to be receptive enough to see it.