• The ski towns of Banff and Lake Louise are located in the Canadian Rockies and are set within the iconic Banff National Park. This is the home of the home to three distinctive SkiBig3 mountain resorts: Banff Sunshine, The Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mt Norquay.
• The town of Banff located 1.5hrs from Calgary International Airport
• SkiBig3 is the joint venture of the three ski resorts and is focused on marketing, selling, and servicing overnight visitors in the Bow Valley, comprised of Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore. • SkiBig3 exclusively markets and sells a single lift ticket and season pass valid at all three ski resorts • Services include; SkiBig3 lift tickets, Central Vacations, Rentals, Retail and Snow School/Guided adventures
• SkiBig3 primarily markets in the US, Canadian, UK, Australian and European markets. • SkiBig3 is a partner in the Ikon and Mountain Collective multi-mountain season passes – These are very successful programs bringing mostly the US and Canadian skiers to Banff and Lake Louise • SkiBig3 works with tour operators or 3rd party sellers who tend to be strongest in the UK, AUS, and European markets. SkiBig3
• During COVID, Eastern Canadians showed strong and helped aid in COVID recovery. SkiBig3 is well positioned to maintain Canadian growth while increasing its share in the US market
• SkiBig3 is focused on growing the biggest opportunity markets within the US and Canada • Primary reasons skiers choose SkiBig3 - Snow conditions and lack of crowds SkiBig 3 is a joint venture company working on behalf of three ski resorts in Banff National Park: Banff Sunshine, the Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mt. Norquay. SkiBig3 is dedicated to showcasing everything this winter destination has to offer.
SkiBig3 has one simple goal – to make the organizing and booking of winter ski vacations to Banff and Lake Louise as easy and stress-free as possible. They are a dedicated and hardworking team who share a love of snow and winter sports and strive to share the secrets and adventures this winter wonderland has to offer.
• Ski attendance has grown during the pandemic. However, international visitation has impacted. We saw almost a full recovery of North American visitation in March of 2022, and the pace for the 22/23 winter season is strong.
• The typical skier is a "baby boomer" (age 55 years and older), a white male, college-educated, and upper-middle-class income level. For this population, health problems and old age will limit future growth.
• An interesting trend has been that while the total number of skiers has not grown, the number of ski trips per skier has increased. We think novel promotions like the Ikon pass have contributed to this trend. • April is the slowest month of the ski season; however, it remains the best snow, temperatures, and light of the winter season. Once the Easter season ends, many people believe the ski season is over. • Currently, the majority of SkiBig3 customers are from Canada and the US. In addition, they draw customers from the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and (to a lesser extent) Australia.
• Changes in foreign exchange rates can have an impact. When the Canadian dollar weakens, this makes a Canadian ski trip cheaper for US and European customers.
• Another interesting trend is how customers book their trips. In the past, tour operators and charter companies would book most of the ski customers. Today, more skiers book their own trips directly with the ski resort using their smartphones and social media tools.
With a SkiBig3 Lift Ticket, rental services, award-winning snow school, and full-service vacation booking capabilities, you can easily build the perfect winter ski vacation.
SkiBig3 is primarily a hospitality company. Their goals are to showcase the beautiful Banff / Lake Louise ski resorts and to make it easy for visitors to book memorable mountain vacations. They offer many other activities in both the winter and summer.
Start with analyzing the industry that SkiBig3 operates in. Be careful with defining their market; recognize that your challenge is about attracting customers primarily from outside of Canada. Thus, their ‘market’ and ‘competitors’ are not just other resorts and attractions located in the Banff National Park.
Once the market and competition are defined, consider the strengths and weaknesses of your client compared to the competition. Consider consumer tastes, culture, economic, and political factors that must be taken into account. Which countries could have the consumers that would be attracted by the service proposition offered by your client and its region?
A few potential thought-provoking areas to consider:
Younger people (social and environmentally conscious)
• Existing geographic areas
• New geographic areas
• Partnerships with others (airlines, tour companies, tourist development agencies, non-traditional partnerships, corporations, other innovative arrangements)
• Ski related activities