By Curt Cherewayko
While Whistler Blackcomb is hoping that exposure from the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will help attract new shareholders in its proposed initial public offering (IPO), other local and regional resorts are betting on the large forecasted snowfall to boost business this year rather than any Olympic afterglow.
In a preliminary prospectus that Whistler Blackcomb filed last month announcing its IPO, the resort said it hopes to see the same post-Olympic boost experienced by Salt Lake City after the 2002 Winter Olympics.
According to the National Ski Areas Association, in the five-year period following the Games, skier visits in Utah rose 6.2% on average, a rate five-times faster than the North American ski industry as a whole.
Surveys conducted by Tourism Whistler show global awareness of Whistler has increased substantially, with top-of-mind awareness rising to 42% from 19% in Germany, 62% from 48% in Australia and 45% from 32% in the U.K.
However, while Lower Mainland-based Grouse Mountain Resorts and Mt. Seymour Resorts and Okanagan-based Big White and Silver Star Mountain Resorts are seeing an increase in sales to date this year, none of the three resorts is leveraging Olympics exposure to lure new international business.
The factors helping boost sales at each resort vary, but the primary ingredient at all three is the large snowfall that is expected to blanket much of B.C. this season as a result of the La Nińa weather pattern that is bringing colder temperatures to the region.
Mt. Seymour sales and marketing co-ordinator Julie Mulligan wouldn’t disclose figures but said that the North Vancouver-based mountain has sold more season passes this year compared to sales last year at this point.
“I have a feeling people are just excited to get back out on the hill,” said Mulligan. “And everybody has also heard that there is supposed to be a lot more snow this year … that would definitely have a positive effect on the mountain. Right now we’re keeping an eye on the forecasted snowfall.”
She said the mountain is marketing to the same customer base it has in previous years: Lower Mainlanders.
The Olympics was neither a boon nor a bust for the mountain. Mt. Seymour’s regular local traffic was, however, supplanted by tourists during the Games.
She added that Mt. Seymour is once again hosting the You Look Good Rider’s Cup, a snowboarding event open for all ages and skill levels. That and other special events are expected to help the hill maintain momentum throughout the season.
Will Mbaho, spokesman for Grouse, attributed the resort’s higher sales this year not only to the optimistic weather forecasts but to recent attractions added to the resort.
The company added a zip line two years ago that continues to draw new visitors.
As well, the hill’s Eye of the Wind attraction, which is a wind turbine with an elevator and observation deck, has attracted 10,000 visitors since it opened at the start of summer.
“That’s been a tremendous draw for us,” said Mbaho.
Regarding this year’s forecasted snow conditions, he said: “We’re all excited about it because we suspect that this is exactly what snow enthusiasts will be looking for. It’s going to give them a long season.”
Nonetheless, the hill is sticking to the first week of December as its opening date, which is historically when the mountain opens to skiers.
He said Grouse is only marketing locally and regionally. It hopes for, but doesn’t expect, an Olympics-related increase in traffic.
“Having a show like NBC’s Today Show here, broadcasting for the duration of the Olympics, has increased our profile, and we are probably more familiar to Americans now,” Mbaho said. “We expect our neighbours to the south will be looking for us in the winter.”
Michael Ballingall, senior vice-president of Big White and Silver Star, said that international traffic is expected to be flat this year at the resorts.
“Nobody in North America is doing great numbers out of the European continent,” said Ballingall.
“Its a money thing,” he added, noting that the United Kingdom – one of the resorts’ largest international markets, has been hit hard by the recession.
As well, he noted that for Britons, it’s a much costlier vacation travelling to Canada than, say, the French or Swiss alps.
Nonetheless, the resorts have seen a 3% year-to-date increase in ticket sales and 10% increase in website traffic.
Much of that is from the Canadian market.
“Ottawa and Toronto had snow on the weekend, and our phones are ringing off the hook today,” said Ballingall.