“There has been an increased focus on communication to the resort community,” at a time when membership has also seen a healthy rise, she said.
The Homeowners’ Marbecue, held over Thanksgiving weekend in October, saw record attendance, and a new pancake breakfast on the Sunday drew people to the Vancouver Island Mountain Centre (VIMC) – some for the first time.
Members are learning about the benefits to membership, such as four free drop-in sessions to the VIMC gym and co-op advertising, but there are other facets that Nicholson said many owners don’t take advantage of, such as the check-in office at the General Store or the Resort Information Centre, both of which open when Mount Washington opens for the winter season.
“We’ve got a growing list of benefits for our members and we continue to build partnerships on Vancouver Island through the co-operative marketing campaign,” she said.
Tourism Mount Washington participated in the Go Vancouver summer campaign in Alberta, with posters on ferries and is advertising in in-flight magazines for airlines that fly out of Comox.
“We’re participating in a major Canada West Ski Areas campaign that tied into Tourism BC (called the Experience BC campaign),” she said.
Nicholson also attended ski shows in Vancouver, Edmonton, Seattle, London and, returning after a few years’ hiatus, the Toronto Ski Show. “(We had) great reception and significant interest in Toronto,” she said.
The Mount Washington team has been building up awareness of the Resort as a destination, making contact with tour operators to ensure they know what the Resort has to offer travellers.
“It’s a key initiative to drive mid-week traffic. It’s an added resource, having tour operators working on our behalf to promote the mountain,” she said.
Nicholson continues to sit on the Tourism Vancouver Island Board “to make sure we’re aware of all the opportunities and that the skiing sector is represented.”
This year Tourism Mount Washington has adopted the Canadian Tourism Commission’s “EQ” Explorer Quotient system, which focuses on visitor experiences and motivation.
The program provides deeper knowledge of customers to help members better target their marketing initiatives, Nicholson explained.