Hotham, Falls Ck to Vail

AMERICAN snow field giant Vail Resorts is set to further expand its Australian portfolio with the acquisition of Victoria’s Falls Creek and Mount Hotham resorts.

Vail has been on an acquisition spree in recent years, establishing a presence in Australia through the purchase of Perisher Valley three years ago (TD 31 Mar 2015), followed by the acquisition of other properties including Canada’s iconic Whistler (TD 09 Aug 16), Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, USA (TD 24 Feb 2017) and most recently Washington’s Stevens Pass Resort (TD 16 Aug).

The company’s portfolio also includes its foundation resorts in Colorado, while the Vail “Epic Pass” annual ski pass product gives access to additional properties in Europe and Japan.

Mount Hotham and Falls Creek are set to be purchased from Merlin Entertainments for about $120 million, according to today’s Australian Financial Review.

Merlin, which has a range of Australian assets including Madame Tussaud’s and Wild Life Sydney, purchased the Victorian ski resorts eight years ago (TD 07 Mar 2012) as part of its takeover of Living and Leisure Australia.

If the Vail acquisition of the properties is confirmed it will be a continuation of the company’s strategy to boost the pool of regular skiers across the globe who are encouraged to buy the Epic Pass product each year.