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In what one ski specialist said appears to be an industry first, Vail Resorts is eliminating commissions on lift tickets and ski lessons booked for the upcoming holidays and other high-traffic dates.
Hannah Peterson, international sales manager for Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge, cited pandemic-related capacity limits at ski resorts in announcing the new policy in an email to travel advisors and wholesale partners Wednesday.
“We understand that this is a change from previous years, and we look forward to winter 21/22 when we can resume normal operations and eliminate any sort of commission blackout dates,” she wrote in the email that was forwarded to Travel Weekly by several advisors. “We are hoping you’ll be able to sell around these commission blackout dates to continue to service your clients.”
Vail, Colo.-based travel agent Meg Austin, owner of Meg2bookLLC, said she has never before seen ski resorts impose blackout dates for commissions on lift tickets and lessons.
“This is sad news, indeed,” she said in an email. “In my humble opinion, cutbacks need to be elsewhere. Agents and agencies that support Vail resorts need to be supported in return.
“It takes a village, and all villagers are needed now, more so than ever!”
Carolyn Kempf , president of Elite Travel in Cape Girardeau, Mo, said that during the pandemic, Vail launched a campaign asking agents to support them.
“Now that business is picking up, they are cutting commission,” she said. “We are seeing similar trends with various destinations and partners. People beg for our help when things are tough but throw us aside when they don’t need us. Some things never change.”
The commission blackout dates are Dec. 28 through Jan. 2; Jan. 9, 16, 17, 23 and 30; Feb. 6, 13, 14, 15, 20 and 27; and March 6, 13 and 14.
Peterson did not immediately respond to an email seeking further comment.
Dan Sherman, chief marketing officer of Ski.com, which sells packaged vacations through advisors and directly to consumers, said his group has talked with Vail executives about the issue “multiple times this week.”
“This is not a normal year, and this commission announcement is not typical,” he said. “The general issue is that they have to limit the number of people on their mountains this season because of Covid. Many of the early-season days have actually hit capacity. They have told us that this should be a one-time thing, and commission will go back to normal next season assuming Covid is less of an issue.”
Source: travelweekly.com