In wake of Whistler Blackcomb sale, will resort slash pass prices?

For nearly a decade, the cornerstone of Vail Resorts' business strategy has been to promote its season passes, which are deeply discounted and allow buyers to ski at all Vail Resorts.

Sales of those season passes have skyrocketed in the last eight years, prompting ski enthusiasts to speculate if big discounts are in store for Whistler Blackcomb pass holders.

Earlier this week, the Colorado-based Vail Resorts Inc. announced it would buy Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. for $1.4 billion, in what was described as a friendly takeover of the B.C. all-season mountain resort.

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A spokesperson for Whistler Blackcomb said season pass prices have not yet been decided, but Vail Resort's CEO Rob Katz told reporters Monday that aggressive pricing has worked at his other resorts.

Katz said the Colorado-based company introduced big price reductions for season's passes at its resorts about eight years ago.

The goal was to increase the number of skiers on the hills. More skiers would mean more revenues for other mountain services likes ski lessons, restaurants and retail outlets.

Sales of Vail's Epic passes soared from 50,000 sold to 500,000, he said 

"Initially, a lot of people think we're kind of crazy for giving that kind of discount to people," Katz said.

"So that's a game-changer I think," Katz said, adding it's "something we really look forward to introducing here in Whistler."

 Pass gives access to all resorts

Vail's Epic pass offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing at all Vail resorts. It's priced at $809 US for the 2016-17 season for adults. A season's pass at Whistler Blackcomb is just over $2.000 Cdn.

Katz said the season passes encourage skiers to travel to other resorts in the chain.

A Whistler Blackcomb spokesperson said the resort will be integrated into Vail's Epic pass program for the 2017/18 season. But prices have not yet been set.

Meanwhile, Christopher Nicholson, president of the Canada West Ski Areas Association, said he thinks Vail Resorts' takeover is good news for Whistler Blackcomb.

Nicholson said he hopes the deal will increase traffic to the resort.

"To be successful, we're at the point where we need to be increasing traffic from other destinations and other markets," Nicholson told CBC's Daybreak South.

"So whether that will be overseas or long haul markets ... [this deal] allows us exposure in those other markets."

Vail Resorts operates nine mountain resorts and two ski areas in the U.S. and Australia.

Nicholson described Vail Resorts' 500,000 pass holders as "a very, very targeted audience of half-a-million skiers that Whistler will now be exposed and promoted to."

He said he hopes this exposure will trickle into other areas of the province and Alberta. 

"One thing we know from past decades is when people come into Western Canada once, they're going to come again," he said.

With files from Meera Bains and Daybreak South.