Whistler Ironman 2013 :: Boost for Whistler Vacation Rentals by Owner

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Troy Assaly
Whistler Ironman 2013 :: Boost for Whistler Vacation Rentals by Owner

Whistler Ironman 2013 :: Boost for Whistler Vacation Rentals by Owner

On Thursday afternoon, Oct. 11, The World Triathlon Corporation confirmed that Whistler has been selected to host Ironman Canada on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013, as well as races next four years…

“Whistler is recognized worldwide as a sought-after travel and outdoor recreation destination. As the new host community of Ironman Canada, Whistler will immediately earn a reputation as a triathlon destination,” said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for WTC. “With its accessibility to major west coast markets, stunning beauty and tourism infrastructure, Whistler will resonate with our athletes, their families and fans of Ironman.”

Barrett Fisher, president and CEO of Tourism Whistler, thanked all the partners in the bid…

“All of our resort partners supported the bid as well, with the hotel community unanimously supporting it as well as the business community that will benefit from the estimated 15,000-plus room nights the event will generate. We had the support of Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, CN Rail, the Ministry of Transportation. There are lots of things still to be confirmed, but we’re exceptionally excited that Whistler was chosen.”…

Read the whole article at The Pique.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Vacation Rental Website Marketing, Whistler Accommodations, Whistler Activities, Whistler Events, Whistler Hotels, Whistler Ironman, Whistler Vacation Rentals | Leave a comment

Whistler to get world-class West Coast art museum :: Whistler Arts & Culture

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Troy Assaly
Whistler Art Gallery

Whistler Art Gallery Supporter

WHISTLER – A world-class art museum to house a collection owned by leading Vancouver art philanthropist Michael Audain will likely be built in Whistler.

The Audain collection includes a large number of Emily Carr paintings, indigenous and contemporary West Coast art. It was on exhibit in 2011 at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

“My wife and I have been looking for a place where our collection of British Columbia art could be exhibited on a permanent basis for the public’s enjoyment,” said Audain, art chair of the Audain foundation, in a news release.

He said foundation and Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden have entered talks that could see a 2,500 square-metre museum built on a large piece of land across the street from the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s municipal hall.

“The potential site we are looking at is in an excellent location adjacent to Whistler Village and is surrounded by beautiful stands of trees.”

The museum would also include a park for outdoor art and sculpture.

Wilhelm-Morden said the museum would help drive cultural tourism in Whistler.

“Whistler has a long-term plan to boost its facilities for arts and culture, so we are thrilled Michael Audain may select our community to house his outstanding collection,” she said.

Audain said studies show that people are more likely to visit a museum when they are on vacation.

“We have considered other West Coast locations, but believe Whistler would be ideal as in recent years it has become established as a four-season resort and a destination for recreation, arts, and culture,” he said.

No cost estimate has been determined for the museum, which will be privately financed, he added…

Read the whole story at Vancouver Sun.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Vacation Rental Website Marketing, Whistler Activities, Whistler Arts & Culture | Leave a comment

Whistler secures $34 million of RMI contract for infrastructure & programming

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Troy Assaly

34 Million Dollars for Whistler from RMI Funds

34 Million Dollars for Whistler from RMI Funds

Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden has confirmed that B.C.’s minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, Pat Bell, has inked a new five-year Resort Municipality Initiative contract worth $34 million.

The signed Memorandum of Understanding was received by the Resort Municipality of Whistler last Friday, the mayor confirmed from the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Victoria on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Wilhelm-Morden had a 90-minute meeting with Bell on Monday, where she made a presentation with three other resort mayors on the RMI.

“He understands what a great program the RMI program is, how innovative it allows resort municipalities across the province to be. He is a big supporter,” Wilhelm-Morden said.

She was delighted to announce the agreement.

“It has been in the works for quite some time. It secures about $34 million in funding, from 2012 to 2016, subject to, of course, money being in the bank in the province,” said Wilhelm-Morden.

The RMI is a special fund created by the province to pay for infrastructure and programming in order to attract more visitors. Examples include the Whistler Presents concert series, street performers and support for festivals…

Read the entire article at The Pique.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Vacation Rental Website Marketing, Whistler Awards, Whistler Blackcomb Stocks, Whistler Taxes, Whistler Vacation Rentals | Leave a comment

Whistler Hotel Rates Drop :: Hotwire reveals Canadian Hotel Rate Report

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Troy Assaly

Whistler Hotels Occupancy & RatesSAN FRANCISCO – Hotwire.com announced the results of the September 2012 Hotwire Canadian Hotel Rate Report, which features the top five cities in Canada where hotel rates have dropped the most. When combined with Hotwire’s already discounted prices, the Hotel Rate Report helps guide customers to the destinations that can maximize their travel dollars…

Whistler, Vancouver and Charlottetown also reappear on this month’s list, albeit in different positions. Home to a variety of outdoor markets, festivals and adventure options,

“Whistler moves from fourth to second this month with a four percent price drop.”

Due to its unusually slow summer and new hotels opening in the area, prices are being heavily discounted to help fill empty rooms, creating excellent deals in this leisure locale…

Read the whole report here.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Vacation Rental Website Marketing, Whistler Hotels, Whistler Property Management, Whistler Vacation Rentals | Leave a comment

Whistler Housting Report :: Important Numbers & Trends

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Troy Assaly
Whistler Housing Report

Whistler Housing Report

…It surveyed 190 businesses, representing approximately 70 per cent of 2011-12’s winter workforce.

“We’re way out in front of other resort communities, having the data that we have on the numbers of employees who live in our town,” said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.

There were roughly 12,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions during 2011-12’s winter season, calculated by tallying the number of full-time employees and the FTE positions created by part-time workers.

Projections for this winter season showed promising trends, with medium-sized businesses, those with six to 19 employees, poised to grow the most in 2012-13, with a 1.5 per cent increase in staff from last year…

Approximately 82 per cent of FTE employees resided within Whistler during the 2010-11 season, exceeding the WHA’s goal of housing 75 per cent of its workforce locally.

“By having that workforce living locally, it just creates that additional vibrancy,” said Marla Zucht, the WHA’s general manager.

“They have that sense of ownership or sense of attachment by living here as opposed to getting in their car to drive at the end of their workday to a neigbouring community.”

Read the whole article Brandon Barrtt at The Whistler Question.

Posted in Whistler Accommodations, Whistler Home Owners, Whistler Property Management, Whistler Real Estate, Whistler Staff Housing | Leave a comment

Top 5 Vacation Rental Management Issues

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Troy Assaly

1. Glass tables have no place in a vacation rental

Glass patio tables are relatively inexpensive but not if you have to replace them every year. Rogue winds can come from nowhere and tip an open umbrella taking a table with it. Go for a more durable type of table that will last for year.

2. Being specific about maximum occupancy

This year we sent a letter to every guest two weeks prior to their rental to remind them that occupancy of the property was limited to the persons they had listed on their agreement, and the penalties for overcrowding. It was amazing what came out of the woodwork following that email. Children who had been omitted; planned family gatherings that had been conveniently forgotten, occasional overnight guests who had been invited but not included on the application.

3. Avoid surprises by highlighting negatives

We found that complaints often reference things that are identified in a listing, like water quality or non-satellite TV, but seem to be missed unless they are specifically addressed.

4. Owner-Guest connection pays dividends

This is a nugget taken from some of the reviews posted on Flipkey this summer. The most positive reviews usually included a comment about kindness shown by owners, either through a welcome note, a phone call after their arrival, or a personal welcome. It seems that even when guests book through an agency, a personal touch shown by the property owners can go a long way to create good feeling. This seems to percolate through to the respect they show on checkout too.

5. No entry system is perfect

Access issues still top the list of complaints and many of these can be circumvented by double checking on codes used and having a key hidden in a location that is only divulged if the guests cannot get in conventionally. Overstuffing lock boxes with too many keys can jam the mechanism as we found out with a couple of cottages.

Follow this link to read the whole article by Heather Bayer.

Posted in Whistler Home Owners, Whistler Housekeeping, Whistler Property Management, Whistler Vacation Rentals | Leave a comment

Whistler Council considers future of Spearhead Huts :: Whistler Backcountry

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Troy Assaly

Fundraising for Whistler backcountry project to span five years

Whistler Backcountry Huts

Whistler Backcountry Huts Proposal

The $1.7 million Spearhead Huts proposal — three backcountry huts linked by trails in Whistler Blackcomb’s backcountry backyard — is gaining ground.

Proponents Liz Scremin and Rob Brusse, of the Spearhead Huts Committee, made a presentation to council Tuesday at the afternoon’s Committee of the Whole meeting, detailing the five-year project that will take thousands of volunteer hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fundraising efforts.

The project is designed to capitalize on the relatively untapped backcountry on Whistler’s doorstep both in summer and winter.

“It’s a unique high-altitude traverse over moderate terrain,” said Brusse, of the multi-day hike or ski, stretching about 35 kilometres.

It’s no secret that council supports the project. In its Council Action Plan, developed shortly after taking office, council agreed to support the advancement of the Spearhead Hut initiative…

Read Alison Taylor’s whole article at the Pique.

Posted in Whistler Accommodations, Whistler Activities, Whistler Vacation Rentals | Leave a comment

Canadian Tourism Commission :: 2011 Snapshot :: US Leisure Travel Down

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Troy Assaly

Canada Tourism CommissionLatest Tourism Numbers & Infographic

Stats… love ‘em or hate ‘em, here are some relevant stats if you are in the Whistler vacation rental business.  Be sure to check out the easy-to-read infographic at the end.

US Leisure Highlights:

• In 2011, the US saw steady yet modest economic recovery with GDP growth of 1.7%. Consumer confidence undoubtedly improved since the 2008-2009 recession, however many US consumers still approach leisure travel planning and purchasing with extreme caution.

• US leisure travel represents Canada’s largest inbound travel market, accounting for 62% of all ravellers in 2011.

• US leisure travel to Canada saw a 2.9% decrease over 2010, dropping to 9.7 million overnight arrivals. The majority of declines occurred in Q1 (-4.5%) and Q3 (-4.3%).

• Total spending by US leisure travellers decreased 4.6% to $4.6 billion in 2011 with the average spend per trip dropping 1.7% to $475.

• Decreases in travellers were seen across all age groups with an exception of “55 years of age or older”. This age demographic represents the largest segment among US leisure visitors to Canada, accounting for 44.7% of all overnight US leisure visitors to Canada in 2011.

• “Shopping” was the most popular activity in 2011 with “sightseeing” being second among US leisure travelers .

2011 Tourism to Canada Infographic

2011 Tourism to Canada Infographic

Click on the infographic, above, to see full size. Interesting and easy-to-read overview of Canadian Tourism numbers for 2011.

Follow this link to the original Canadian Tourism Commission report.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Vacation Rental Website Marketing | Leave a comment

Tourism BC funding triples over two years to promote skiing at Whistler

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Troy Assaly

B.C. ski resorts pool resources, target Ontario, California, Washington State

Tourism BC funding triples over two years to promote skiing at Whistler

Tourism BC funding triples over two years to promote skiing at Whistler

B.C.’s 13 destination ski resorts are joining forces and pooling resources to get the message out this year that B.C. is the best place to ski.

And government is listening.

The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, with help from the resorts, has tripled the marketing budget at Tourism BC from $600,000 two years ago to $1.8 million this year in an effort to mount one of the biggest province-wide ski marketing campaigns in recent years…

Tourism Minister Pat Bell was mum on what the campaign is going to look like, only hinting at Whistler Blackcomb figuring largely in the promotions. But he didn’t mince his words when it came time to talk about taking B.C.’s six million skier visits and turning that into eight, nine or even ten million visits in the coming years.

B.C. is fourth in North America, close in line behind California and Quebec, but a long way from the 12 million skier visits in Colorado.

“I am dead serious about taking full advantage of the opportunity we have in our ski industry,” said Bell.

“I wouldn’t say it’s business at usual at all. I think we’re taking a very aggressive approach to ski. It is one of the six areas that we identified in ‘Gaining the Edge’ — our strategy for tourism in British Columbia — and we probably set the boldest goal of all for that one, which is to become the number one skier destination in North America, which is a significant challenge given that we’re a little over half of what Colorado is right now. So we need to harness all of the horses in order to achieve that goal.”

The province has committed $1.55 million this year for two campaigns to promote skiing.

Add to that a quarter of a million dollars from 13 ski resorts — they were enticed to the table with the promise of matching funds from the province — and you get triple the marketing dollars this year compared to two years ago.

“If you’re leveraging government dollars on a one-to-one basis then it does become compelling to participate,” said David Lynn, president and CEO of the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA). “In other words, you know that each dollar you’re putting in is being matched by the government and that you, with your peer group, get to direct where those dollars go, I think that made it attractive to a lot of resorts.”

…

Read the whole Alison Taylor article at The Pique.

Posted in Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb Stocks, Whistler Lift Tickets & Passes, Whistler Property Management | Leave a comment

Whistler Blackcomb Reports Fiscal 2012 Financial Results :: All Numbers Are Up

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Troy Assaly

Whistler Blackcomb Holdings

…FISCAL 2012 THIRD QUARTER AND NINE MONTH FINANCIAL RESULTS

WhistlerBlackcomb Revenue, Visits and Effective Ticket Price

Revenues climbed to $34.4 million and $209.0 million for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, which represents increases of $3.9 million, or 12.7%, and $18.6 million, or 9.8%, respectively, over the same periods in the prior year. The increases were primarily a result of increases in pricing and visit growth from destination guests.

“All major categories of resort revenue increased during the periods as a result of increased destination visitors, who typically have higher expenditure than regional guests.”

Total pass and card sales for the 2011-12 ski season reached $43.3 million which represents a 9.5% increase over total pass and card sales for the 2010-11 season.

Skier visits were 332,000 and 2.131 million for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012, respectively. This represents a decrease of 14,000, or (4.2%), and an increase of 101,000, or 5%, respectively, over the same periods in the prior year. Management estimates that the increases were driven entirely by destination visits.

ETP was $42.61 and $49.24 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, which represents increases of $5.82, or 15.8%, and $2.18, or 4.6%, respectively, over the same periods in the prior year. Growth in ETP was a result of increases in lift product pricing and a higher proportion of visits from higher yielding destination guests…

Read the whole press release and view financial statements at PR Newswire.

Posted in Whistler Blackcomb Stocks, Whistler Lift Tickets & Passes | Leave a comment