Vail Resorts Suspends Winter Operations at 2 of Its 3 Australian Resorts
Today, Vail Resorts announced it would be suspending operations at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, its two Australian resorts in the state of Victoria, just a few days after they opened for the season. These closures, which will last until at least August 19, come on the heels of a recent COVID-19 spike and subsequent stay-at-home orders issued by the state. Vail’s Perisher resort, located in the state of New South Wales, will remain open for now.
Link to press release: https://www.mthotham.com.au/discover/connect-with-us/latest-news/covid-19-update#9803239-mt-hotham-skiing-company
Our Take
Unfortunately, these closures are set to take place over a substantial portion of the Australian ski season. If a similar spike in cases occurs in the U.S. and Canada next winter, we may see similar suspensions at some of Vail’s North American mountains. These closures occurred suddenly, and those buying passes for next season should brace for the possibility that a resort could suspend operations in the middle of their vacation.
Vail’s Epic Coverage will result in sizable prorated refunds for some Australian passholders. However, those who chose one of the “all resorts” options won’t be getting their money back unless Perisher also closes.
You can hedge against COVID-related refund complications at North American resorts next season by making a smart pass purchase. Vail’s full refund policy can be found here.
If you plan on getting an Epic Pass, be very careful about which pass protection option you choose. If you choose the “all resorts” option, it requires all of Vail’s Colorado, Utah, Lake Tahoe, and British Columbia resorts to be closed for 7 or more consecutive days for passholders to be eligible for a refund. This means that if COVID closures occur in some of these regions but not others, you won’t get a refund.
The “specific resort” option provides more reliable coverage (as the name suggests, it provides a refund if the resort you pick closes for 7 or more consecutive days). It’s plausible that if the mountain you choose closes, other Epic-affiliated resorts in the region will be subject to the same closures; therefore, you can effectively choose a region to get practical pass insurance for.
Ultimately, these closures are a humbling reminder that we have a long way to go to conquer COVID-19. Over the coming days, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens to the ski season in the rest of Australia.
