Visitors can expect to see more unique, Whistler street entertainment, such as Michele Bush's Fashion Police, starting in summer 2011. More festivals and animation are coming as part of the drive to increase Whistler's cultural tourism offerings.
A jazz festival on Labour Day weekend, a unique Whistler show or parade by Cirque du Soleil and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performances on Whistler Mountain are some of the ideas currently being discussed under the banner of Whistler's new plan to develop its cultural tourism offerings.
Work is taking place behind the scenes in Whistler to move forward with the resort's Cultural Tourism Development Strategy, a feasibility study completed earlier this fall by cultural tourism expert Steven Thorne. The full report has not been released publicly to date because it contains competitive information, but an overview document is being shared with various community stakeholders, said John Rae, the municipality's manager of strategic alliances.
The idea is to further develop Whistler as a place-based cultural destination — to create animation, activities and a buzz in the resort that can't be duplicated anywhere else, Rae said Monday (Dec. 13).
The goal is to tap into the massive cultural tourism market, create excitement in Whistler that will encourage visitors to extend their stays, and ultimately increase occupancy in the resort, he said.
"We want a steady hum," Rae said. "We want destination animation and we want all of it to be free."