Occupancy rate in Whistler hotels in the first quarter of 2009 hums around 40%, the lowest level Whistler has seen in decades. It is no surprise with the downturn in the economy, the Whistler tourism market is struggling to fill occupancy in the various  hotels and vacation rentals throughout Whistler, BC.

Many owners and property managers of Whistler accommodations are offering  some of the best rates seen in a long time as they get more aggressive to fill their occupancy. Hotels too are feeling the affect and offering some sweet discounts to locals.

Whistler accommodation owners who reply on their marketing to attract potential travelers to secure their rental accommodations, have been more aggressive to attain more exposure to fill the vacancies. Like many companies in these tough economic times, owners and property managers are spending their marketing expenses intelligently by diverting a significant portion of their marketing spend online. Marketing over the web offers property owners the fastest and best means to reach their large global audience, down to their local weekend day trippers in Vancouver. A trend has been noticed where these owners of Whistler accommodations are seeking more boutique and highly targeted niche websites to advertise, such as those exclusively focused on the market of Whistler, Canada, versus large diluted online marketplaces as VRBO and HomeAway. (more…)