Panorama Mountain Resort is open to skiers and riders after hosting race teams for the past month.

Nine of 10 lifts are open with trails available for all abilities. The resort is booked to near full capacity this weekend with celebrations planned for the opening of the mountain and the new Discovery Quad.

“On opening day the resort’s lodging is at 95% occupancy and the place is buzzing; it’s a marked contrast to what we saw on the same day last year. We’re seeing a couple of really encouraging things happen in the vacation market. Skiers and riders from the prairies are paying less for gas and some of those savings are being spent on trips to the mountains. The exchange rate is working in our favour too; guests from Eastern Canada who have traveled south of the border in recent times are making tracks west instead,” says Marke Dickson, sales & marketing director, Panorama Mountain Resort.

Alberta remains a key market for the resort. Many Albertans consider the Columbia Valley and Panorama as cabin country using the area as their preferred weekend getaway destination. Numerous families own vacation homes at the resort and are an integral part of the community.

“We’ve been watching the price of oil with as much trepidation as our friends in Alberta but despite volatility we’re continuing to see solid growth. There’s certainly no slow down out of Alberta with overall business volumes pacing 10% ahead of last year and spectacular numbers coming from long-haul markets like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Panorama invested $10 million in new lifts and facilities through the summer and we’re ready for a really strong winter season,” says Steve Paccagnan, president & CEO, Panorama Mountain Resort.

Above photo: Ribbon cutting ceremony for the New Discovery Quad chairlift – December 13.
 Pictured: Steve Paccagnan, Panorama President & CEO (far left black jacket), Guy Messerli, Panorama founder (black jacket with red sleeve), Fritz Zehnder, Panorama founder (blue plaid jacket) and members of the Panorama ownership group.  Photo by Panorama Mountain Resort

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