The biggest tours made even more money in 2011, but this may be a short-term grab.
According to Pollstar, the largest 100 treks in North America improved revenues by 16 percent to $1.12 billion, but ticket prices also elevated 10 percent. Overall, attendance gained a milder 5 percent, while the average ticket price among the top 100 is now $67.
That is an average gain of $6.25 per ticket, one that doesn’t include extras like concessions, t-shirts, and parking fees. But the price-gouging becomes even more obvious for the top 50 tours, where prices elevated a monstrous 14 percent to an average $84.92. Worldwide, revenues among this more elite set grew 11 percent to $1.65 billion, though attendance actually declined by 2 percent to 19.4 million.
Is this sustainable? Or, a just a good idea for maximizing short-term profits?