VIAD CORP

We adopted Topic 842 on January 1, 2019, which requires the recognition of a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and lease liability on the balance sheet, and requires lessees to classify leases as either finance or operating leases. The classification of the lease determines whether the lease expense is recognized on an effective interest method basis (finance lease) or on a straight-line basis (operating lease) over the lease term. In determining whether an agreement contains a lease, we consider if we have a right to control the use of the underlying asset during the lease term in exchange for an obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. We recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities at commencement date, which is when the underlying asset is available for use to a lessee, based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term.

We made the accounting policy election not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. We elected to apply the package of practical expedients permitted under Topic 842 transition guidance, which among other things, allowed us to carry forward our historical lease classifications. We also elected the practical expedient to not separate non-lease components from lease components, and payments associated with fixed non-lease components are included in measuring the ROU asset and lease liability.

If a lease contains a renewal option that is reasonably certain to be exercised, then the lease term includes the optional periods in measuring a ROU asset and lease liability. Variable leases and variable non-lease components are not included in the calculation of the ROU asset and corresponding lease liability. For facility leases, variable lease costs include the costs of common area maintenance, taxes, and insurance for which we pay our lessors an estimate that is adjusted to actual expense on a quarterly or annual basis depending on the underlying contract terms. These variable lease payments are expensed as incurred. Upon the adoption of Topic 842, our accounting for finance leases, previously referred to as capital leases, remains substantially unchanged from prior guidance. Our lease agreements do not contain any significant residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants.

Substantially all of our lease agreements do not specify an implicit borrowing rate, and as such, we utilize an incremental borrowing rate based on lease term and by country, in order to calculate the present value of our future lease payments. The discount rate represents a risk-adjusted rate on a secured basis, and is the expected rate at which we would borrow funds to satisfy the scheduled lease liability payment streams commensurate with the lease term and the country. On January 1, 2019, the discount rate used on existing leases at adoption was extrapolated based on the remaining lease term and the country using available data as of that date.  For new or renewed leases starting in 2019, the discount rate is determined using available data at lease commencement and based on the lease term and country including any reasonably certain renewal periods.

We are also a lessor to third party tenants who either lease certain portions of facilities that we own or sublease certain portions of facilities that we lease. Lease income from owned facilities is recorded as rental income and sublease income from leased facilities is recorded against lease expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. All of our leases for which we are the lessor are classified as operating leases under Topic 842.

Hospitality. Pursuit owns three year-round lodging properties: the Mount Royal Hotel, the Elk + Avenue Hotel, and Grouse Mountain Lodge. With the exception of the Talkeetna Alaska Lodge, which opened during March 2019, all other lodging properties were seasonally closed during the first quarter. The decrease in RevPAR was primarily due to lower occupancy at the Elk + Avenue Hotel due to a shortfall in group and travel trade room nights as well as a shift of consumer direct room nights with the reopening of the Mount Royal Hotel, offset in part by higher occupancy at the Grouse Mountain Lodge. ADR increased at the Elk + Avenue Hotel and Grouse Mountain Lodge driven by our revenue management efforts.