The world's largest ski resorts operator, Vail Resorts, has taken its global total of ski areas to 40, with the acquisition of three more ski areas.
The company has bought three resorts in Pennsylvania from Seven Springs Mountain Resort Inc for approximately $125 million (US).
It means Vail Resorts now own or operate 36 US ski areas including the largest, Park City Mountain, as well as three Australian ski areas, including the largest, Perisher, and North America's largest ski area at Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada.
Although they own many world-famous destination resorts like Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Heavenly and of course Vail itself, more than half of the company's US resorts are now located in the East and Midwest, often close to major cities. Skiers living there typically purchase the group's Epic Pass season ticket which gives them lift access to both their home mountain and neighbouring areas as well as at Vail's major destination resorts in the west, when they book a ski holiday to one of them, as well as other leading resorts around the world.
"These great ski areas in Pennsylvania are a perfect complement to our existing resorts, creating a much stronger connection and compelling offering to our current and future guests in Pittsburgh as well as those in other critical markets such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Cleveland," said Kirsten Lynch, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
The other two ski areas newly purchased are Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain. Vail already owned five ski areas in Pennsylvania so now own eight, a fifth of their resort total and more than in any other state. Eight also marks about a third of the two dozen ski areas in Pennsylvania.