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Squaw has established an impressive overseas partner-
ship with the Chinese ski area Genting Resort Secret Garden,
future host of the freestyle and snowboarding events for the 2022
Beijing Winter Olympics. The partnership encompasses not only
staff exchanges and reciprocal trail-naming ceremonies but also
reciprocal season pass access for guests of both resorts, special
lift and lodging incentives at Squaw for competitors in China’s
hugely popular ski/snowboard tour Snowone, and skiing with
Jonny Moseley at Genting.
Squaw also has partnered with Toread, the leading Chinese
outdoor retailer, to establish expansive marketing and cross-pro-
SQUAW VALLEY | ALPINE MEADOWS
motional opportunities to reach Chinese skiers/boarders. Toread
is exclusively promoting Squaw vacation packages at 200 stores
Dignitaries at Squaw’s trail-naming ceremony for the “Secret Garden”
mogul run in honor of the partnership with Genting Resort Secret in all major Chinese cities to encourage destination ski travel to
Garden. Genting re-named a trail there “Squaw Valley” in January 2017. the resort.
On the home front, Squaw is developing a Chinese language
Belin also notes that first-timers are more multicultural than website, participating in Visit California “Global Ready China”
repeat skiers/snowboarders. The NSAA Beginner Conversion seminars, and working with Chinese tour operators to create cus-
Study—an ongoing survey of the behavior patterns and purchas- tomized group packages. The resort also hosted the Chinese free-
ing activity of newcomers—shows that 25 percent are nonwhite, style team for training in May 2017, and renamed a mogul run
and about half are Asian, he says. “Secret Garden” in honor of Squaw’s connection with Genting
Belin says he knows of several resorts that are doing a great Resort Secret Garden.
job bringing Asian clientele to their hills. “In California, Sierra- All of these efforts are timely with growth in the Chinese
at-Tahoe does a huge business with nonwhite customers. Areas skier population and overall leisure travel to the state of
near diverse urban centers do best, but there are a lot of smaller California, Hepburn says. According to the China Ski
ski areas that do well with Asian skiers too,” he says. “Diamond Association, the number of skiers in China has gone from around
Peak, Nev., draws IT workers from San Jose; Eldora, outside 200,000 in the year 2000 to about 12.5 million in 2015. And,
Boulder, has lots of professionals of Indian descent from the California is currently the top US destination for Chinese trav-
university, startups, tech, and the entrepreneurial economy.” elers, who spent $2.5 billion in California in 2015 (source: Visit
There’s a similar picture in New England, says Belin, noting California).
that many Asian students, professors, and academics who have At Killington, the resort has wrestled with how and what to
the money to ski/board are drawn to the sport in that region, advertise to potential guests who are Asian, says sales and mar-
and that several ski areas are very good about reaching out to keting director Rob Megnin. “I was told by a few that they did $2B+ FINANCING SOLUTIONS
multi-ethnic audiences. not want us to speak to them in their native tongue—they had THAT LAST.
What else should ski areas do to bring more Asians to the immigrated to the US and are proud of it. As such, they wanted INVESTED
mountains? “Being inclusive, having more Asian staff, and us to speak to them in English,” he says. “But it meant a lot to PARTNERSHIPS
translating the website helps recent immigrants,” suggests them that we did it because it ‘rolled out the red carpet’ for them, IN RECREATION THAT MATTER.
Belin. “And having a point person at the resort to work with and they knew they were welcome.” PROPERTIES
the overseas group directly is key.” clientele to the resort’s 4-day Discovery Program, which offers
Megnin attributes much of Killington’s success with Asian
W henever you talk to people in the indus- adult first-timers rental equipment, a two-hour lesson, and a lift

try about areas that do a good job of attract-
ticket for four days. At the end of the program, participants get
ing Asians, three names tend to come up: Squaw
ticipant demographic is Asian, and the program almost always
Valley | Alpine Meadows, Calif.; Killington Resort, Vt., and a branded Killington snowboard/skis. The overwhelming par-
Wachusett Mountain, Mass. sells out.
“Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows’ focus on the Asian skier “The program’s value has circulated through the commu-
market has primarily been on Chinese nationals, which has a nity, and every year I see a growing number of Asians on the gear
skier base that is growing exponentially, with lots of support from they got upon graduation,” Megnin says. Visit www.eprkc.com to learn more or contact
the Chinese government,” says Liesl Hepburn, the resort’s public Killington also provides hot water containers in the lodge Andrew Limbocker
relations director. over the holidays for noodles and herbal teas that its Asian clients
Vice President - Recreation Investment Group
38 | NSAA JOURNAL | CONVENTION 2018 andrewl@eprkc.com | (816) 472-1700