Whistler ski resort sees business slowdown

Western Canada’s Whistler ski resort is feeling the impact of the economic downturn as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics alpine events in just over a year.

Tourism officials and local businesses in the Whistler, British Columbia area are citing a lack of snow and the worsening economic climate as the reasons for the decline in tourist numbers and spending. In most instances, cities hosting the Olympics see a boom ahead of the Games, but that’s not the case at Whistler.

Spending by tourists is reportedly down by approximately 10 per cent compared to the same period last year, noted Casey Vanden Heuvel of Tourism Whistler. The spokesman added that the ski resort was prepared for a slowdown.

“It’s fairly predictable that in tight economic times discretionary spending is a form of spending people cut,” he said. “In terms of impact, we see that our average length of stay has been reduced.”

The tourism official also reported that the area has seen a decline in overnight stays and conference bookings.

Intrawest, the owner of the Whistler ski resort, announced job cuts last month. It also owns other North American resorts, and is reporting a drop off in business overall that it has not seen in many years. In October, the company refinanced a $1.4-billion loan with its parent company, just in time to avoid an asset sell-off.

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