Media Releases
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Winter 2012/ 2013 ends on high note for Whistler - strong business levels remain consistent
Tourism Whistler media release
For immediate release - May 28, 2013
Winter 2012/ 2013 ends on high note for Whistler – strong business levels remain consistent
Whistler, B.C. -- Buoyed by the previous record-breaking winter, Whistler business levels remained consistent in winter 2012/ 2013, ending on a positive note.
Winter 2012/ 2013 proved to be the second busiest on record, with room nights down only slightly from the record-breaking winter 2011/ 2012 season and still 10% above the 10-year average.
Winter 2011/2012 holds the record as Whistler’s busiest on record, in terms of room nights booked. But the most recent winter’s results were only slightly behind, down by one per cent, and that is positive news for the resort.
“Given the extraordinary results of the 2011/ 2012 season, the fact that we were able to maintain our business at those levels is really a strong result,” said Tourism Whistler’s Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Louise Walker.
“Recovering global economies, travel demand, favourable weather conditions, excellent snow, a robust year-round events calendar and strong marketing campaigns have helped to stimulate bookings from all of our key markets,” she said.
Whistler continued to see growth in visitation from destination markets, with room nights further increasing from the very strong growth seen in winter 2011/12. In fact, winter 2012/13 had the second highest total of destination room nights of the last 10 years.
In addition to the positive room night results, Whistler hotel rates are also gaining ground. “Our rates are shifting in the right direction,” Walker said. “We are seeing some recovery. Although rates have not returned to pre-recession levels, there is some growth. At the same time, the resort remains competitive, offering our guests excellent value for money.”
In terms of room nights booked, summer 2012 was also Whistler’s busiest summer on record with room nights up by four per cent over the previous summer.
Indications are that summer 2013 will be strong, pacing ahead of last summer with particular strength in June, July and August.
Business levels are being driven by both independent traveller (IT) and conference bookings.
Throughout the summer, Whistler will host a number of significant events including the North Face Whistler Half-Marathon, the Whistler Wellness Fair, Tough Mudder, and the BC Bike Race in June, Canada Day festivities, Artwalk, the Whistler Longboard Festival, the Believe Freedom Festival and the Whistler Children’s Festival in July, Wanderlust, Crankworx
and the inaugural Subaru IRONMAN® Canada event in August. In addition, the free Whistler Presents Outdoor Concert Series – featuring acts such as Matt Dusk, 54-40, the English Beat and more – kicks off in June, continuing through September.
Walker said the strategy of securing signature events such as the Subaru IRONMAN® Canada event, which makes its Whistler debut this August and returns in July for the following four years, is paying off when it comes to securing advanced bookings and reducing the potential impact that inclement weather conditions can sometimes have on summer bookings.
“Our efforts to secure signature events throughout the summer months not only ensure that Whistler has an exciting, non-stop lineup of events and entertainment, but also the bookings that go along with those events – bookings that aren’t necessarily subject to things that we can’t control, like weather,” she said.
“The dynamic and eclectic events, featuring everything from street entertainment, outdoor concerts, sporting events and cultural activities, provides a constant buzz of energy in the resort and helps to achieve our goals of driving room nights and enhancing the overall guest experience.”
For a complete list of Whistler’s events calendar, visit: www.whistler.com/events
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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.
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 can visit whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.
Media Contact
Patricia Westerholm
Manager, Corporate Communications
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E: pwesterholm@tourismwhistler.com
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