Holiday Numbers Strong
Skiers and snowboarders took to the hills in droves, not letting economic uncertainty dampen their holiday plans. Despite a slower than expected start to its winter season, Sun Peaks Resort picked up the pace over the holiday period and came close to the record set last season. "Christmas and New Year's were the second largest ever, within 1,000 vistors last year and well above 2006-2007," Tourism Sun Peaks president Christopher Nicolson said earlier this week. "During that we went well over 5,000 visits per day," he added. "Dec. 30 was our second largest day ever." The season started gradually in late-November. Like most B.C. ski areas, Sun Peaks had insufficient snow to open runs top-to-bottom on opening day Nov. 22. However, snow covered the mountain a week later and arrived in abundance in mid-December. "Weather has certainly been the dictator," Nicolson said. There was also a concern that the fluctuating Canadian dollar might deter visits from Washington State, which represents about 10 per cent of the resort's winter business. That didn't happen. "We had lots of Washington guests over Christmas time and were making a special effort to talk to them and get an idea," Nicholson said. The sense is that U.S. Pacific Northwest, not unlike Western Canada, has been more resistant to the recessionary tide that swept the rest of the U.S. There is another factor that may be working to the ski industry's advantage, he noted. Skiers and snowboarders tend to highly value their pastime to the extent where it weathers recession more than other typers of discretionary spending. "At the end of the day, I think it make people feel good and that is compelling." In recent years the resort has been looking to expand its horizons by attracting more winter visitors from Alberta and overseas from Australia and New Zealand. New groups, travelling ski school programs from Down Under, are scheduled to arrive this month and next, bolstering midwinter business. As well, the resort has invested $130,000, in partnership with Tourism Canada and Westjet, in marketing to Albertans. Sun Peaks offers warmer temperatures and ski-in, ski-out opportunities for destination visitors, an addd enticement over Rocky Mountain Ski Areas, Nicholson said.
exert from Kamloops Daily News, January 9th,2009