“We’ve only been operational for four months and we’ve been busy,” she said. Approximately 150 members have signed up and the organization now has several marketing initiatives in place. They are part of the Come Ski Canada Guide, produced by the Canadian Tourism Association and focusing on attracting Australian tourists to Mount Washington Alpine Resort.
“It’s got phenomenal coverage,” Nicholson said. “There are 100,000 print copies and a good global distribution (to Australia, Germany, Mexico and South Korea, as well as Web distribution).
“We’re really trying to build up our mid-week accommodation” by selling the “alpine destination” as well as the other activities such as golfing or kayaking that one can do after a morning of skiing, she said. In other words, enhancing the overall experience for visitors and maximizing benefits for members.
Tourism Mount Washington is also part of a move to take the Resort to London in the fall – attending the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show. “It’s going to open up a market for us,” she said.
Next season the Tourism Mount Washington board will concentrate on building its membership – which means building trust and a following from the resort community.
The biggest challenge facing the organization, said Nicholson, is that the concept is new, and owners in the resort community want to see how things develop before they will commit to it.
The organization has been put in place for the benefit and common interest of the accommodation and business owners and providers, she added. “The model that we’re using is a tried and tested model which mixes the benefits and collected wisdom of a group of stakeholders,” she said.
Getting that message across to individual owners has been difficult, however. Because of privacy issues, the strata councils cannot provide Nicholson with phone lists of their members. The group will hold its first annual general meeting on Thanksgiving weekend.