After struggling through a season fraught with natural disasters, NZSki has reported a surprisingly strong performance, with high hopes for next year if its "stars and planets are aligned".
The feedback came at yesterday's 2011 NZSki debriefing at Crowne Plaza hotel, attended by more than 100 ski, retail and tourism industry representatives.
Despite earthquakes, Queensland floods, Chilean ash cloud and late snow, this season's figures were "really, really encouraging", NZSki chief executive James Coddington said.
Numbers for snow-less June were down 97%, and for July 16%, but August and September numbers were up 5% and 3% , respectively.
October's 28% decrease was skewed by the one-week extension of the 2010 season.
"When we actually did get normality and opened ... this year closely followed what our record season was last year. That gives me great heart looking ahead to 2012." Mr Coddington said.
The ash cloud "became a positive" as travellers who could not get to Queenstown in June - while there was no snow - were able to re-book later in the season, he said. Australians deciding to come to New Zealand for shorter stays had been another bonus, with visitor numbers peaking directly after August's record snowfall.
The Rugby World Cup was "fantastic for us", Mr Coddington said.
"We had more Argentinians and more Irish people than we have ever experienced on our mountains ... Some days we were having 2000 people up on Coronet Peak and 1000-odd at Remarkables, when traditionally we've got 500 to 800 people on the mountain."
NZSki transport manager Etienne Raubenheimer said the expanded bus service took more than 90,000 people to the mountains.
With congestion during snowsports events, NZSki was "the victim of our own success", he said, and there were plans to expand its fleet to about 22 buses, increasing to 32 buses during peak times.
Next year, skiers and snowboarders will also be able to load money on NZSki's MyPass cards, with free credit available to previous season pass holders who have already bought 2012 passes.
The company is also looking at expanding the MyPass system to include deals on other Queenstown activities - similar to the Superpasses offered to Australians this year.
"We are trialling some things this summer where people will be able to use those MyPass cards in certain businesses," Mr Coddington.
He also confirmed there were "some pretty exciting investments" planned for the Remarkables ski area over the next five to 10 years, without going into detail.
