Vail Resorts To Purchase Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb

Photo: Whistler Blackcomb

Vail Resorts has entered into an agreement to purchase the world-renowned Whistler Blackcomb resort near Vancouver.

Under the transaction, Vail Resorts will acquire 100% of the stock of the 8,000-acre Whistler Blackcomb resort, which hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics skiing venues.

Vail Resorts said “principally local Canadian leadership” will remain at Whistler, and it has plans to “invest substantially” in Whistler’s facilities, which served 2 million skiers in its last fiscal year. Vail also will continue the resort’s recently announced “Renaissance” project, to “provide new four-season, weather-independent activities; and elevate Whistler Blackcomb’s core skiing, mountain biking and sightseeing experiences for decades to come.”

Whistler Blackcomb will continue to honor the resort’s existing season-pass products through 2017, but Vail Resorts plans to integrate Whistler Blackcomb into its Epic Season Pass and other season-pass products for the 2017-18 winter season.

Whistler Blackcomb has been named the top ski resort in North America by SKI Magazine in three out of the past four years. Vail Resorts operates nine mountain destinations and two urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Perisher in Australia; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan.

If they receive government approval, the companies hope to finalize the deal this fall.