In one of the most significant moves ever in North American skiing, Vail Resorts have announced they are purchasing another of the world’s most iconic resorts, Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada.
Whistler Blackcomb is one of the world’s leading ski resorts, the main venue for Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the largest ski area in North America.
It was formerly part of the Intrawest group which grew through the 1990s to be one of North America’s most successful multi ski-resort operators and even ran ski areas in Europe, including Arc 1950 at Les Arcs and a snowdome in Madrid, but has been contracting in size for about a decade. It also moved its headquarters from Canada to Colorado, where Vail Resorts are based.
“Combining Whistler Blackcomb with Vail Resorts’ portfolio of outstanding resorts provides Whistler Blackcomb with increased financial strength, marketing exposure, guest relationships and broadens the geographic diversity of our company with resorts across the United States, as well as in Australia and Canada. This relationship will bring greater resources to support our current operations and our ambitious growth plans, including the Renaissance project, the most exciting and transformative investment in Whistler Blackcomb’s history,” said Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb’s chief executive officer.
Vail Resorts have been expanding their operations for many years and now run a dozen ski resorts including four in Colorado, three in California and Park City in Utah which it spent large sums on in 2014-15 to make it the largest ski area in the US. The company also owns Australia’s largest ski area, Perisher.
Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts commented, “Whistler Blackcomb is one of the most iconic mountain resorts in the world with an incredible history, passionate employees and a strong community. With our combined experience and expertise, together we will build upon the guest experience at Whistler Blackcomb while preserving the unique brand and character of the resort as an iconic Canadian destination for guests around the world. We are delighted to add such a renowned resort to Vail Resorts and look forward to expanding our relationships in the Sea-to-Sky community, British Columbia and Canada.”