The 11th annual Whistler Film Festival generated $2.8 million in economic activity in Whistler, and $5.1 million provincewide, according to an economic impact assessment.
The festival, which ran November 30 to December 4, 2011, attracted more than 8,200 visitors, including 506 industry insiders.
"Our 2011 edition marked the beginning of our second decade as a film festival, and we are very proud of the economic impact that our event made to the province and our community," said Shauna Hardy Mishaw, founder and executive director of the Whistler Film Festival Society.
"It demonstrates that the Whistler Film Festival is an important economic driver for the resort. Not only does it enhance Whistler's international profile and attract incremental visitation, it builds cultural tourism."
The event and associated spending created an estimated 37 jobs and $1.8 million in wages across B.C., according to an economic impact assessment conducted by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA).
The festival generated $1.1 million in tax revenue for the federal and provincial governments and $107,000 for the municipality of Whistler.
According to Tourism Whistler survey research, more than half of the visitors (70%) came from outside the Whistler area and 76% came to Whistler specifically for the festival. The average length of stay was three nights.
