LUDLOW, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s not just the skiers and riders who are stoked the mountains are beginning to open for the season, businesses in those ski towns are also prepping for the winter rush. The ski season in Vermont accounts for $975 million in direct visitor spending, according to Ski Vermont.
Okemo is a looming presence in the town of Ludlow. You can see the mountain from pretty much every store on Main Street.
That includes Northern Ski Works, which is located just outside the downtown shopping corridor. “It’s pretty exciting for everyone. You can see the traffic pick up tremendously and everybody just can’t wait for the first chair,” said the store’s Donna Cahill.
With fresh snow on the ground — and more on the way — there is a bustle in the air as business owners get ready for the crowds. “Very excited but also nervous. Staffing has been a slight problem,” said Craig Kovalsky at the Blue Duck Deli, which is celebrating its first winter after flooding last year delayed their opening. “We are also going to launch dinner right after the new year and we are doing a chef’s tasting menu.”
The open flag is already waving in front of 3 Graces, a high-end women’s boutique on Main Street where skiing-themed garments are part of the draw
“Traffic has been picking up,” said the store’s Katie Fitzpatrick. “A lot of people come after skiing, they get a drink at Main and Mountain and they shop here at 3 Graces.”
More than 4 million people are likely to visit Vermont this ski season. Mother Nature will play an important role. “When we have snow, we have business,” Cahill said.
Snowfall is also a key factor when it comes to enticing skiers and riders from out-of-state, especially those in big cities like Boston and New York.