Whistler Blackcomb CEO Rob Katz has said in an e-mail to Vail Resorts employees that they hope to open all their resorts by “late June or early July and be welcoming people in all our lodging and retail stores by that time as well”.

The news comes as many businesses across the country begin to re-open following weeks of closures due to COVID-19. Katz highlighted the importance of health and safety for both staff and guests as the company begins to put its re-opening plan in place; “We intend to take our time to reopen, and we acknowledge that we may be slower to open than others. Our goal is not to win the race to re-open, it’s to look back one day with great pride in our track record on safety” says Katz.

Vail Resorts closed its facilities on March 14th, and Katz says that just as the communities they operate in need “to find the right timing and right path for each of them, we too need to be comfortable with when and how we reopen”.

The CEO says they are reviewing the unique nature of each operation and business and will open each one on its own timeline. Vail operates restaurants, hotels, golf courses, retail stores, transportation and more alongside their mountain lift operations. The opening of each arm of the business will also likely see more limitations than previous years, owing to COVID-19 restrictions.

Katz has also made it clear that late spring skiing and riding will not take place at Whistler Blackcomb this year, saying it would have carried its own impacts on the company and others, which will be more manageable in July.

There has not yet been any word on what a 2020-21 ski season may look like, but news is expected in the coming weeks detailing the summer opening and operations.

 

Filed under: covid-19, Rob Katz, Ski, Snowboard, Vail Resorts, Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb