Sun Peaks is celebrating a record-breaking winter season for visitation.
Resort-wide hotel stays between November and March were up 12% over last year, which was a record year for the mountain. Before that, 2007 saw the highest visitation numbers. The resort also set records for overall skier visits this season.
Chief marketing officer Aidan Kelly and Tourism Sun Peaks CEO Arlene Schieven agreed the boost is largely due to ongoing marketing efforts and an overall heightened awareness of what Sun Peaks has to offer.
“I think it’s just across the board. The brand and the awareness of the experience at Sun Peaks has really grown and, not just in our close markets here in B.C., but across Canada and into the [United] States and around the world,” Kelly said, citing increases in visitors from Ontario, Seattle, Australia and New Zealand.
He said the resort also saw increases in weekend visitors from Vancouver and more season-pass holders from Kamloops.
“You put it all together and you can’t just pinpoint one area. Sun peaks is on the radar in a way it never has been before and it’s really starting to translate into the visitation here at the resort,” Kelly said.
They are also expecting April numbers to give winter season stats a boost, largely thanks to the Snowbombing festival and late-season snowfall.
“We know once we get people to come here they tend to become repeat visitors so that part almost takes care of itself,” Schieven said. “Our job is really to get people to try it for the first time and we’re starting to see that happen.”
The summer events lineup kicks off in mid June with the 5K Foam Fest on June 18th. The mountain opens to for lift-accessed hiking and biking on June 23rd and Canada Day celebrations on July 1 will feature a free outdoor concert by 54.40.
New infrastructure developments are also in the works this summer, with construction happening on a new townhouse development and major expansions planned for the Sunburst Lodge and Bento’s Day Lodge.
