Media Releases
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Whistler is Number One – SKI Magazine readers name Whistler Blackcomb best in North America
Tourism Whistler media release
For immediate release - October 16, 2012
Whistler is Number One – SKI
Magazine readers name Whistler Blackcomb best in North America
Suggested tweet:
#Whistler named Number One in North America by SKI Magazine readers. Visit
this winter to see what the fuss is about. http://bit.ly/9EJiJ
Whistler, B.C. – The results are in and readers of SKI Magazine have
ranked Whistler Blackcomb the number one overall ski resort in North America.
The annual survey of more than 20,000 skiers and snowboarders reviews
almost every resort aspect of the mountains, including access, terrain parks,
lodging and dining. The complete list of rankings is listed in SKI Magazine’s
October issue.
Whistler Blackcomb– the only Canadian resort to make the list –
skyrocketed to the top of the list, beating out competitors such as last
year’s winner Deer Valley, Utah (second place) and Vail, Colorado (third
place) and moving up from last year’s third-place spot.
“We are thrilled with these results,” said Barrett Fisher, Tourism
Whistler’s President & CEO. “Congratulations to Whistler Blackcomb
mountains and all of the businesses in the resort of Whistler. This top
ranking reflects the diversity and quality of our product as well as the
level of customer service that we all strive for in our efforts to exceed our
guests’ expectations.”
The poll, which rates the top 60 resorts in North America, is in its 26th
year and is the most extensive in the industry.
“It’s easy to play the numbers game with Whistler,” reports Susan Reifer
Ryan in SKI
Magazine’s October issue. “It’s the biggest resort in North America and
has the stats to back it up. But that’s not what makes this place special –
and so deserving of its new No. 1 rank. Surprisingly, for a place so immense,
this Canadian resort’s real brilliance lies in its ability to get personal,
to offer every skier a day that feels intimate, customized and perfect for
him or her alone. This place has personality and a level of diversity that
lets it offer such vivid ski experiences.”
Whistler Blackcomb, in addition to being named the number one resort in
North America, also earned top spot in the overall terrain variety category
and second in overall service, lodging, après, off hill activities and
digital presence. Other top-five awards came in the categories of: challenge
of terrain, lifts, on-mountain food, dining, scenery, terrain parks and
overall guest satisfaction.
In other award news, Conde Nast Traveler announced today the results
of the 2012
Reader's Choice Awards. Four Seaons Resort Whistler was named
in the Top 100 Hotels & Resorts in the World. In addition to
this award, the hotel was named along with three other Whistler hotels in the
Top 20 Resorts in Canada category. Standings are:
- Four Seasons Resort Whistler (#2)
- Fairmont Chateau Whistler (#7)
- Pan Pacific Village Centre (#9)
- Westin Resort & Spa (#14)
Late September, the Georgia Straight newspaper released their 17th annual
2012 Readers
Choice Best of Vancouver awards in with Whistler businesses taking home
the hardware in 18 categories:
- Best weekend getaway
- Best winter destination
- Best romantic hideaway (second place)
- Best summer destination (third place)
- Best out of town spa getaway: Scandinave Spa (second
place)
- Best resort/ hotel – Whistler:
Fairmont Chateau Whistler (first place)
Four Seasons Resort Whistler (second place)
Westin Whistler Resort and Spa (third place) - Best B.C. golf resort: Whistler Golf Club (third
place)
- Best B.C. adventure tour company: Ziptrek Ecotours
(third place)
- Best place to buy a vacation home: Whistler
- Best B.C. wine festival: Cornucopia (tied for third
place with the Naramata Wine Fest)
With more than 8,100 acres, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, world-class
terrain parks and half pipes and 200+ marked trails – not to mention a
10-year average annual snowfall of 39 feet – Whistler Blackcomb is the big
mountain experience with something for everyone. In addition to world class
skiing and boarding, Whistler offers a myriad of exceptional winter
activity options including cross country skiing, snowshoeing, cat skiing,
heli-skiing, ziplining and snowmobiling among others.
Opening day for Whistler Blackcomb is scheduled for November 22, 2012.
Visitors can discover first-hand what Georgia Straight and SKI Magazine
readers are raving about with the Book Early
and Save promotion. Book by November 15, 2012 to get in on the
lowest prices of the season, with savings of up to 39 per cent on stay and
ski packages. Book now and kids stay, ski, rent and shuttle transfer for
free.
Visit www.whistler.com
online or by phone where Whistler-based travel consultants can customize a
vacation package, taking care of flights, ground transportation,
accommodation and activities. Whistler.com has the largest and best
accommodation selection and a best price guarantee. Call 1.800.WHISTLER
(1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com
for more details and offers.
-30-
Whistler
is Canada’s premier year-round
leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres
(75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated
the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of
the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive
range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as
townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100
restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity
options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and
golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of
Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent
residents.
Tourism
Whistler is the member-based
marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the
Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as
well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com
– Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the
convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler,
Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and
operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels,
restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.
Media
can visit whistler.com/media
for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality
profiles and access to images and B-roll.
Broadcasters: Whistler now has the capability to take you live with
our enhanced fibre network. The significantly expanded network of more
than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cabling throughout the resort allows
instant transmission of HD signals to any location at any time. Details
on how to access, and book the fibre are available on our media site. http://media.whistler.com/contact-us/filming-in-whistler/
Media
Contact
Tourism Whistler
Mary Zinck
Specialist, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2702
E: mzinck@tourismwhistler.com
W: www.whistler.com/media
T: www.Twitter.com/mediaTWhistler
F: www.Facebook.com/GoWhistler