Copper_Peak

Last week’s two-day snowstorm got a lot of people jazzed for the ski season, says Ken Gart, president of Specialty Sports Venture, the parent company of Colorado Ski and Golf. So much so that over the weekend, you wouldn’t know that Colorado’s ski industry had been pinched by the recession.

“Literally, we have been packed since the doors opened this morning,” Gart told CBS4 on Saturday.

Ski resorts throughout North America, including Copper Mountain (Copper Peak pictured), have shifted their marketing strategies to focus on offering discounts, part of a broader tourism-industry trend to lure valuable customers who are expected to look for more bang for their bucks this year (via KUNC radio).

Several resorts are already open, and last week’s big snowstorm only helped perpetuate the many deals available, as First Tracks notes.