Understanding summer visitors and their experiences at the Whistler Mountain ski area, Canada

The popularity of operating chairlifts at alpine ski areas in the summer to accommodate activities such as hiking and mountain biking is growing, especially in North America. Research has been conducted on environmental impacts of summer use at ski areas, but the social aspects have received little empirical attention. This paper describes summer visitors'

1. demographics;
2. activities and other trip characteristics;
3. motivations; and
4. experiences and satisfaction with lift ticket fees, management strategies, conflicting activities, and other on-site conditions.

Data were obtained from visitor surveys (n = 548) conducted from July to September 2000 at five separate sites at the Whistler Mountain ski area in Canada. Hikers, sightseers, and mountain bikers were the main activity groups. Overall satisfaction was high, but visitors were not satisfied with every aspect of their experience. Many were displeased with crowding, environmental impacts, lift ticket fees, lack of educational/interpretive information provided, and overflights by helicopter tours. Responses, however, differed among the sites, suggesting the need for managing each site separately. Explanations for these findings and implications for managers and researchers are discussed.