Skier visits for Canadian resorts drop by about 10 percent

July 9, 12:27 AMSkiing ExaminerEric Wagnon

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Skiers at Canadian resorts such as Fernie Alpine Resort in British
Columbia had less snow, but more room, during a 2008-09
season when skier visits dropped by about 10 percent.
                                                           Photo: RCR/Mark Shannon

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Canada totals 18.4 million skier visits

The number of skiers and snowboarders at Canadian ski resorts during the 2008-09 season fell by about 10 percent, compared to the record season of 2007-08, according to statistics released by the Canadian Ski Council on Tuesday. The 18.4 million skier visit total in 2008-2009 was down from 20.5 million in 2007-08.

Like the skiing industry as a whole, the trend has been relatively flat for a number of years. For instance, the Canadian Ski Council reported about 18.8 million skier visits in the 2002-2003 season. A skier visit is one person visiting a resort for all or part of one day for the purpose of skiing or snowboarding.

U.S. sees less decline

The National Ski Areas Association in the United States released relatively better numbers in May. Enjoying a good season overall in terms of snow conditions, U.S. resorts attracted 57.1 million visits, a decline of 5.5 percent. On the other hand, many Canadian resorts had to contend with low snowfall in addition to the worldwide economic slump.

Snowfall suffers in western Canada

Western Canada endured a particularly poor snow year. For example, Fernie Alpine Resort in British Columbia totaled 259 inches of snow, compared to an average annual snowfall of 348 inches.

A skier navigates a steep run at Sunshine Village in the Canadian
province of Alberta.                                  Photo: Sunshine Village

Whistler Blackcomb, home of the alpine skiing events for the 2010 Winter Olympics, suffered though a particularly poor early season in terms of snow conditions. The resort in British Columbia ended up with 356 inches, well short of its 402-inch average, and had to shorten its normally long spring-skiing season.

Eastern Canada tends to rely more on man-made snow anyway, but the eastern natural snowfall totals generally did not reflect the relative declines of the western provinces. For instance, Mont Tremblant in the eastern province of Quebec enjoyed above-average snowfall with 189 inches, surpassing its annual average of 150 inches.

Economic climate outweighs currency advantage

The overall economic downturn apparently negated a potentially positive currency rate situation for Canadian resorts attracting tourists from the United States.  The U.S. dollar was stronger against the Canadian dollar in the 2008-09 ski season than it was a season earlier. While in 2007-08 season the two currencies were about an even trade, a U.S. dollar could be exchanged for about CA$1.25, in effect giving U.S. visitors a 25 percent bonus.

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