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Whistler more family friendly this year

Teen concierges, tube park, winter carnival night designed to bring fun for whole family.
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Ben Podborski (right) goes over what to do in Whistler with a young guest at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler. Photo by Maureen Provencal

By Alison Taylor

In less than five minutes it’s easy to see that 17-year-old Ben Podborski is passionate about his community.

And after living almost his whole life in Whistler, Podborski has a pretty good idea of what’s going on around town.

That’s why he was picked to be one of a handful of local teen concierges at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler.

His job, in between going to school at Whistler Secondary and ski racing with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, is to help young guests decide what to do when they’re here for a visit. And Podborski said there’s no shortage of things to keep teens, tweens and kids entertained — the arcade, the movie theatre, the ice rink, and the teen lounge at Millennium Place, he said, just to name a few.

“There’s tons of things to do here,” he said. “All day, every day, and even into then evening. It’s a lot of fun.”

Whether it’s the teen concierge program at the Four Seasons or the new tube park at Whistler Blackcomb or the weekly winter carnival night on the driving range, Whistler has a new focus as a resort this year. More than ever before it’s family friendly.

That’s the way Tourism Whistler and other partners are actively promoting the resort.

“Research tells us that…family specific marketing is a great opportunity,” said Oliver Flaser, director of marketing for Tourism Whistler.

In December, running in conjunction with the opening of the Whistler Blackcomb tube park, Tourism Whistler launched a campaign so kids could ski, stay and tube for free. Flaser doesn’t have the exact numbers of how many families with kids took them up on the offer but he said it was successful. It not only drove home the message that the tube park was open, which is a family activity, but also that families could get a deal, too.

“When you’re spending a few thousand dollars as a family to go travel somewhere I think that it’s really important that people who are the decision makers in the family feel as though it is accessible, not just price-wise, but everything else (too),” said Flaser.

When Whistler Blackcomb’s tube park opened in December it was an instant hit for people of all ages. It has become an activity that not only young people can enjoy, but also the young at heart.

“It was certainly intended for families for something to do after the lifts closed… but I think one of the pleasant surprises is the appeal to an even wider range of people,” said Whistler Blackcomb’s senior public relations officer, Tabetha Boot.

“We’ve definitely been very excited with the success of the tube park so far.”

To further boost the range of family activities Tourism Whistler called for proposals for winter family activities on the driving range. Cougar Mountain’s proposal came out on top and now every Tuesday night there is a winter carnival in the village, complete with short dogsled rides, mini snowmobiles, snowshoeing and maple syrup taste testing.

North Carolina vistors Jimmy Holmes, wife Susan, and their 17-month-old daughter, Lane, came to check out the fun this week. Regular visitors to Whistler for the past decade and now with a toddler, they know this vacation will be a little different. They saw the winter carnival advertised on TV and decided to check it out.

“Every year we find something new to do,” said Susan Holmes, after taking Lane around the loop on the dogsled. “We haven’t run out of things yet. We’re always doing something.”

The family focus is now branching into all seasons. After the success of last year, Tourism Whistler is again promoting the Whistler Family Links program to entice families to the local golf courses during the summer.

And festivals such as the Crankworx mountain biking festival will also have elements of family programming.

“It’s not just about the winter season any more,” said Flaser. “It’s about really focusing on families throughout the entire year.

“I think the next 10 to 12 months we’re really going to see the fruits of our labour come forward.”

In some cases it already has.

The Four Seasons Resort Whistler was rated one of the top family destinations recently in Travel and Leisure Family.

Fours Seasons marketing director Ciro Tacinelli said that’s not only because of the amenities and services at the hotel but because of Whistler itself.

“We earned this recognition not only due to our services and attention to families, but also based on Whistler as a wonderful destination,” said Tacinelli.

“Anywhere that’s easy to get around, where people have pride in the destination, where they're friendly and willing to help, and you can enjoy nature and clean air, is great for kids and families.”