Whistler Blackcomb saw the most snow since records began in November but will this record-breaking start to the season save Whistler from the phenomenon known as “Olympic Aversion”?

With headlines like “Olympic Aversion grounds Vancouver-bound flights” and some properties still not booked for the Olympics, there is no wonder why tourism officials and property owners in Whistler are bracing themselves.

Olympic aversion is caused by the fear that the Olympics will mean that there are large crowds and no or little accommodation available with extortionate prices. Over the Olympics (February 11 to 28, 2010) this is partially true. However, during the Olympic events, Whistler Blackcomb is still open and so while the crowds are watching the events, you have the rest of the 8,171 acres/3,307 hectares spread out over two mountains to ski and ride.

Olympic venues such as Turin, Salt Lake City and Beijing have all seen this aversion and so Whistler Blackcomb are doing everything they can from stopping this from happening by extending discounts to their ski tour agents and operators.

Here are some things you can take advantage of as a result of the “Olympic aversion”:

  1. Early-bird ski passes can be bought up to January 15 2010 saving you up to 50% (in previous years this date was November 15). Rates can be viewed here.
  2. Incredible deals on Whistler accommodation before and after the Olympics (February 11 to 28, 2010) as property owners and managers scramble to get their places filled.
  3. The mountains will be quieter than normal away from the events and around the events.

We have seen that this Olympic aversion has affected the whole of the 2009-2010 winter season in Whistler with guests opting for other ski resorts in Western Canada all together even around the Olympic dates and so great deals are to be had throughout the season.

To make things even harder to attract more guests to Whistler this season, other ski locations such as Banff (Banff Norquay, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise) are offering the lowest rates we have ever seen on accommodation, lift passes and airport transfers making it all more tempting for the budget-conscious traveller to choose an alternative to Whistler this year which in this economy, who can blame them?

At this stage it seems the “Olympic Aversion” is happening in Whistler as predicted but the true extent will not be known until after this 2009-2010 winter ski season. For consumers, it means low accommodation rates and lift passes around the Olympic dates.

For more information on ski holidays in western Canada, try Ski Holidays Canada, a small independently owner company based in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.