Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

TW AGM talks growth, strategy

More visitors, destination markets emphasis 'starting to pay off'
news_whistler1
numbers game Enjoying the Longhorn patio on a sunny day.

Tourism Whistler wants day-trippers to park their cars and stay overnight, and plans to target these visitors in its new "The Art of Summer" marketing campaign.

Louise Walker, vice president of marketing at the organization, said they expected a 1.4 per cent increase in room nights compared with the summer of 2011. In particular, British Columbia, Washington State, Ontario and California markets will be targeted with golf, mountain biking, and events such as concerts and art being the specific niches to be promoted.

Introducing The Art of Summer, Walker said it was aimed at increasing "top-of-mind awareness of Whistler as a summer destination" with the hope of shifting perceptions of what the resort offers. It's not just a great place to spend the day it is a destination — the hope is that this will translate into increased overnight visits.

"We also have specific direction to increase repeat visits and also target the markets of biking, golf and events. Direct mail will also be used to help generate repeat visits from the Tourism Whistler database," Walker said in an emailed response to questions.

Along with a strategic advertising campaign, emphasizing quality of the experience (mountain biking) and the affordability (golf), the deals found on booking websites like Expedia will include offers like free third nights in Whistler accommodations.

Tourism Whistler members will also be able to access a "Member Toolbox" for the summer season with ideas "to engage and involve you in the whole process" of The Art of Summer program, Walker said.

In terms of the 2011-2012 winter season, Tourism Whistler members heard at the annual AGM last week — where the summer campaign was unveiled — that room occupancy nights grew by 18 per cent when compared with 2010-2011 — but to put this in context the 2012 numbers are just one per cent higher than 2000-2001, the previous record year.

The agency's chairman-of-the-board Roger Soane said it was recognized that 2011 would be a tough year following on the heels of the 2010 Winter Olympics, but that the post-Games focus of "winning back the destination market... was starting to pay off." He also alluded to the economic recovery worldwide and the impact it had on the resort.

"As we start to come out of this recovery, I do caution everybody that it's still going to take some time," Soane added.

Michael Brisbois, general manager of The Keg and the chairman of the board for the Restaurant Association of Whistler, spoke of his concerns for his sector after the AGM.

"They don't really have all the answers for us, and if everyone had a crystal ball that would be fantastic," he said in an interview Tuesday.

"The venue is more of an opportunity for members to express concerns and give the board our feedback."

Brisbois said he made a request to learn more about the demographics of clientele staying over in Whistler, adding that his colleagues in the restaurant sector are also aware that destination visitors appear to be more careful when buying meals these days.

"I've got an (Keg company) owner to report to and they go, 'Oh! Record in Whistler and why are your numbers not a record?' And a lot of us, as general managers, had to report back to our owners that it might be record nights but we're not getting that. We're wondering how we could be at record nights when we're at 80 per cent of what our record should be."

Brisbois said better co-ordination in learning about large groups staying in the resort from the Hotel Association would also help restaurants bring in the right number of staff, and improve the quality of the dining experience for the visitor.

"If there's, say, a thousand people in town and they're going out to dine, especially in the slow season and all of a sudden 100 extra people walk into your restaurant, as an example, you are going to miss out on that opportunity and probably turn those people away," he said.

"We want to wow them. Otherwise it is a missed opportunity for a restaurant, or retail store or activity company. The guest now can't be doing that activity, and when they leave the resort they won't be that happy, and they're not going to come back and that will hurt the resort."

Brisbois also hoped to see Whistler.com used to promote his sector more, and wanted two additional seats added to Tourism Whistler's board of directors representing the food and beverage sector, and retail.

In terms of promotion and the summer marketing campaign, Tourism Whistler's president and CEO Barrett Fisher told members at the AGM that the 2011-2012 priority shifts included moving more from traditional media to social media in terms of content sharing and advertising. Tourism Whistler would also be moving from brochures to digital content, concentrating on growing the destination market, moving from tactical advertising to brand image, and from event production to event solicitation and marketing.

The Whistler Sabbatical Project, with Briton Luke Dillon staying at the resort for a month, was declared a significant success, with over 20,000 individual entries and over four million Facebook impressions of the project's page.

Tourism Whistler's Facebook page itself gained over 11,000 new fans in 2011, and the website Whistler.com had over 1.98 million visits.

In terms of visibility on television, among many other opportunities, the appearance of Bearfoot Bistro's sous chef Jimmy Stewart on Top Chef Canada was worth $3.2 million in advertising value, while an appearance of Whistler on Travel Channel China was worth over $2 million.

As well, conferences at Whistler generated 46,000 room nights in the same period.

Members also took part in electing new members to Tourism Whistler's Board of Directors.

Soane was acclaimed director of multi-managed lodging — other, and Norman Mastalir was acclaimed director for single managed lodging — large.

In the vote for the other two positions on the board, Jim Allard became director for multi-managed lodging — Village, and Tony Cary-Barnard becomes director-at-large, defeating Stephen Webb and Annique Aird, respectively.