Tourism 2010 Resource Centre

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BC Ski Resorts Activate 2010 Game Plan

As British Columbia gears up for the start of the 2010 Winter Games in February, the province’s ski resorts are activating their own Games-time marketing plans to extend the glow of the Olympic Flame beyond the cauldron at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.

With the winter season now underway, Tourism Whistler and its partners are working hard to combat Olympic aversion and to get the message out to potential visitors that Whistler is open for business throughout the Games and the entire 2009/10 winter season.

Research from past Games shows that host destinations must be proactive in getting their message out to counter public perceptions of high prices, accommodation shortages and travel hassles.

Throughout the 2010 Winter Games, 95 per cent of Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain will stay open and Whistler will be abuzz with Games-time activities. Six live sites situated throughout the Village will feature extensive and interactive arts and entertainment programming.

Arlene Schieven, Vice President of Marketing for Tourism Whistler, said the organization is encouraging people to consider booking a vacation before or after the Games when it will be business as usual in Whistler.

“This season provides the perfect opportunity to come and experience Whistler before or after the Games with amazing value ski and stay packages on offer. Skiers can ski the very slopes that athletes will compete on during the Games and experience the Olympic spirit throughout the Village,” she said.

Tourism Whistler is also encouraging people to visit during the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 -21.

“The Paralympic Winter Games offer the perfect opportunity to take part in Olympic celebrations without the crowds, while also experiencing the amazing and uplifting efforts of our Paralympic athletes,” added Schieven.

In an effort to entice skiers and snowboarders to plan vacations well before the Games, as well as during and after, the resort is offering up some of its best deals ever. Early bird seasons’ passes sold for $1,100, or a 30 per cent discount. Holidays for the 2009/10 season booked before November 15 are going for as much as 39 per cent off the ticketed price, with lift and lodging packages starting at $88 per person per night.

During the month of February parking will be greatly reduced in Whistler and permits will be required during peaks hours for travel north of Squamish. However enhanced transit service, running 24 hours a day during the Games period, as well as shuttles and motor coaches will maintain great access to Whistler Village and the Blackcomb base. To avoid travel headaches, visitors are being urged to check whistler.com and travelsmart2010.ca for the best transportation options.

While Whistler Blackcomb and Tourism Whistler ramp up efforts to keep guests loyal during the busy Games-time period, British Columbia’s other premier winter resorts are also planning big things and using creative ways to import a little of the 2010 Winter Games spirit to their respective mountains.

Take Silver Star for example. Why settle for simply being a spectator when you can don skates, skis or curling shoes and get into the action? While it may not be world class competition, Silver Star Resort launches its own decidedly low key “Silver Star Games” in February, giving visitors an opportunity to test their mettle in a sporting atmosphere where the emphasis is on fun.

From February 12-28, the Silver Star Games will feature biathlon with a NERF gun, speed trials at Tube Town with luge, two-man and four-man bobsled, outdoor curling and an ice hockey skills challenge on Brewers Pond, and a ski race on the Lower Big Dipper, among many other Games-themed activities. The authentic 2010 spirit will also be happening at the resort as some of the world’s elite cross country skiers and biathletes train on Silver Star’s Nordic trails in the weeks leading up to the Games.

Fellow Thompson Okanagan resort Big White will also be getting into the Games spirit with the “Big White Games,” featuring its own version of sporting events modeled after the real event. The festivities begin the evening of February 12 with a torchlight parade during which flags from the various nations taking part in the 2010 Winter Games will be flown.

Both Big White and Silver Star will be projecting competitions and award ceremonies on outdoor big screens, not to mention TV screens at village restaurants and pubs. Big White’s cool cruise and ski package includes a leisurely four-day journey aboard the Norwegian Star from Los Angeles, a stopover in Vancouver to catch the Olympic buzz, then on to Big White for five days of light and fluffy interior snow. The ship belongs to Norwegian Cruise Lines and will be docking in North Vancouver from February 10 through March 2 providing a unique accommodation alternative for Games visitors, with state rooms starting at $650/night.

At Kimberley Alpine Resort in the East Kootenays, guests and locals will be able to capture the 2010 Winter Games excitement when the resort hosts world class Paralympians for the Para Speed NorAm February 9-12 and the Alpine and Snowboard NorAm Races February 13-17.

Kimberley’s newly opened $6-million Paralympic Race Training Centre is a fitting development for the resort where the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers was formed back in 1976.

Panorama Mountain Village is also hosting numerous National and World Cup Teams this November as they hone their form in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Games. Locals will be cheering on one of their own, Nick Brush who will compete in the Paralympic Games as a guide for Paralympian Chris Williamson.

And imagine this – the purveyors of powder snow in the Kootenays are offering a competition out of this world. It’s called the Powder Highway Ultimate Ski Bum contest. To the maker of the winning 90-second video explaining why he or she is the ultimate ski bum, goes three months of helicopter, cat and resort skiing in the Rocky, Purcell, Selkirk and Monashee mountains – all free, accommodation, food, and travel included.

Once again Sun Peaks Resort plays host to the Austrian National Ski Team this November as this Euro powerhouse prepares to take on the world at Whistler in 2010. With Canadian skiing icon Nancy Greene hitting the slopes with locals and visitors alike, Olympic spirit is ever-present at Sun Peaks.

And this year there’s much more to get excited about at the interior resort. Beginning November 1, 2009, WestJet Airlines will expand its service to Kamloops and Sun Peaks with improved Vancouver and Calgary connections allowing inbound skiers to be on the slopes on arrival day. The Icewine Festival, long a staple at Sun Peaks Resort every January, has been re-launched as the Winter Wine Festival, running January 16-24, 2010 and highlighting not only icewines but many different varietals from the Okanagan Valley.

Sun Peaks’ “I Want to Be The Snow Bum” contest is bound to attract attention with its offer of a season’s pass, deluxe accommodation, food vouchers and backstage passes to resort events. It all goes to the producer of the best 60-second video professing a love of the mountain life with wit and charm.

Vancouver Island’s Mount Washington Alpine Resort will be a hive of activity as a select pre-Games training facility that boasts similar snow and weather conditions to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games venues. More than 23 nordic and alpine teams from 10 countries, including Sweden, Finland, Russia and other winter sport giants, will be on the slopes and tracks at the resort starting in January. Like all BC ski resorts, Mount Washington will be open for business as usual during the exciting pre-Games and Games activities.

So although 2010 Olympic competitions will be focused around Whistler, Vancouver and Richmond, the spirit of the Games is already being felt at resorts across the province.

Check out these and other special offers at the 13 ski resorts through the province participating in Tourism BC's Ski British Columbia marketing program.