From Tourism Whistler January 23, 2012
Perfect storm of conditions combine for surge in Whistler business….
Whistler, B.C. – An unprecedented snow advantage, combined with Tourism Whistler’s marketing efforts and pent-up post-Olympic consumer demand have aligned to create the perfect storm of conditions for Whistler, where bookings are up significantly this winter over last.
Tourism Whistler reports that December 2011 was the busiest December on record in terms of room nights booked, with an increase of approximately 12 per cent compared to December 2010 and a six per cent increase over the previous record held in December 2007.
Combined with increases in the month of January, February and March (room nights booked to date, as well as pace of bookings) the upward swing has resulted in a revised winter forecast from Tourism Whistler.
Research gathered originally indicated that room nights for the 2011/ 2012 winter would be up by approximately four per cent over the previous winter. With the latest numbers, however, Tourism Whistler has revised that forecast to be up by at least 10 per cent over last winter, in terms of room nights booked, making the 2011/ 2012 winter season the strongest winter since 2007/ 2008.
Improvements are being seen from all key destination markets however Tourism Whistler officials caution that the worldwide economic situation continues to play a role in resort business levels.
“It’s fantastic that we’re seeing the benefits of our efforts,” said Barrett Fisher, Tourism Whistler’s President and CEO. “Early results this season indicated a very positive response to our marketing initiatives – and there’s no doubt that we’ve effectively tapped into pent up demand.”
“However, we do have to recognize that while this is shaping up to be an exceptional winter season in terms of room nights,” said Fisher. “Consumer behaviour continues to evolve and we need to be cognizant of that and adapt accordingly.”
In addition to the success of Tourism Whistler’s marketing efforts following the unprecedented exposure from the 2010 Winter Games, Fisher pointed out several other factors affecting the positive results, including: gains in early bookings through tour operators, the resort’s early booking offers, interest generated by the Whistler Sabbatical Project, the resort’s 2011/ 2012 winter marketing campaign; and Whistler’s unprecedented snow advantage.
“Whistler capitalized on extremely positive positioning with our early booking efforts,” said Fisher, “and we know that the Whistler Sabbatical Project – which has received more than 15,000 entries and tens of thousands of viewers watching the weekly vignettes – has really resonated with people.”
The exceptional snow conditions in Whistler served to layer on additional bookings for the resort in recent weeks. Last year the resort received more than 52 feet of snowfall, shattering the average annual accumulation of 34 feet, and La Niña is helping pave the way for another strong snow season. Whistler has received 20 feet of snowfall to date and offers 8,171 skiable acres of terrain – more than any other destination in North America.
“We recognize how fortunate we are,” said Fisher. “Mother Nature has been very kind to Whistler and we’re pleased to see other resorts starting to receive some snowfall. That’s good for the entire ski industry in the long-term.”
The first few months of Whistler Blackcomb’s 2011/ 2012 winter season have been excellent, with 613 centimetres (241 inches) of total snowfall. The resort has received 68 centimetres (27 inches) in the past seven days and 28 centimetres (11 inches) in the past 24 hours. The forecast is calling for up to 45 centimetres (18 inches) this week. Visit
Tourism Whistler website
