One of the most successful winners at the 2010 Winter Olympics was the Canadian ski resort of Whistler. Home to both the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain ski resorts, the ski village two hours north of Vancouver has been rated the top ski resort in North America for the past 12 years in a row. The first anniversary of the 2010 Winter Games is being celebrated there now, highlighting the event’s important legacy for the region.
Post Olympics attractions are attracting tens of thousands of new visitors to the resort. These include tours of the Olympic Ski Jump and a biathlon experience with lessons for shooting an official competition rifle on the Olympic Range. This Wednesday, February 16, marked the opening of a worldwide first in sports tourism. That is the “Skeleton Sport Experience” program, which features two solo rides down the track for just $125. The 2010 Olympic Athletes Village now welcomes visitors as a budget accommodation destination, with rentals starting at just $35 per night. The 2010 events rekindle pleasant memories, photographs, videos, collectibles and posters are widely available in Whistler and give the region an aura of historical importance.
Whistler’s proven business success has been a strong incentive for the three finalists competing for the honor of hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics. The candidates are Annecy / Mt. Blanc, France, Bavaria, Germany and Pyoncheong, Korea. The final bids have already been submitted and International Olympic Committee site evaluators are on tour now to view the proposed sites in peak winter conditions. The final decison will be announced this summer on July 6.
See an exclusive behind the scenes slideshow about the valuable legacy of the 2010 Winter Games at this link:
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