While marketers at Whistler's ski resorts see the falling loonie as an opportunity to lure Americans north again, those at Big White and Silver Star resorts are aiming at Canadian markets instead.

"Our big concentration this year for our resorts is Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and Alberta," Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice president of Big White and Silver Star, told the Georgia Straight by phone from a Las Vegas golf course. "We're not as thirsty as Whistler. I mean, Whistler's pretty thirsty, and they're drinking from every fountain that's running out there. We're very respectful of that, and that's why we're in the Lower Mainland saying, ”˜Hang on; there's great snow in the Interior, and there are great deals in the Interior to be had.' "

Tourism Whistler communications manager Breton Murphy told the Straight that it's "way too early to tell" how the Canadian dollar's recent fluctuations against the U.S. dollar could impact the resorts he and his staff promote. A year ago on November 7, 2007, the Canuck buck closed at a record US$1.10. On October 10, it tumbled 4.87 cents during trading that day against the U.S. dollar, eventually closing at US$0.8469.

"There is no doubt we recognize the opportunity," Murphy said, noting that a strong American dollar could help attract visitors to Whistler over competing American resorts.

Outside of the Canadian market, the American market is the next biggest for Whistler's resorts, Murphy added. "It's basically one in every four visitors to the resort."

As for strategies, Murphy noted that "consumer behaviour is changing a lot in a very short time". Whistler's skiing brain trust is sticking with longer-term plans to maintain its current market share but now has more "targeted short-term investments" that also look at some of the regional markets as traffic from the U.K. and Australia slows, Murphy said.

Ballingall said he remains upbeat despite the economic picture because he still expects the big S—snow—to arrive regardless of what the loonie is doing.

"The skier is still chasing the drug, and that's powder snow," he said. "They need their fix. It's that simple. They are going to go on their ski holiday. They might cut back in their inventory and not go on that sun holiday, or they may stay closer to home. But we are only a five- or six-hour drive from the Seattle and Tacoma areas, and there are a lot of people there that own property at our two resorts, and they tend to spread the word pretty quick."

Lisa Sohni, communications manager for Sun Peaks Resort, echoed Ballingall, telling the Straight: "Normally, in our regional market, what affects whether people come out or not is snow and snow conditions. Obviously, we aren't at that point. We open on November 22, so we haven't seen an increase or a decline. Things seem to be status quo at this stage.”¦For December, we're actually ahead in terms of bookings for last year at this time."

Ballingall added: "The dollar has affected us. It's not like 2001, 2002, or 2003. Those were great years out of Washington state, but when Washington state fell off, the U.K. and Australia picked it up. Now we're seeing a decline in those markets, and those markets are hard to replace—average stay is over 10 days. Average stay out of the U.S. is just over four days."