With reference to Holloway and Plant’s new product development options, what strategies have ski resorts followed in order to attract visitors?

This is the mission statement of Vancouver-based Intrawest – perhaps the most successful ski resort company in the world. Its success has been achieved by developing resort destinations as opposed to ski resorts. ‘Experience’ is a word used liberally by Intrawest in its marketing materials and by its staff. ‘Disney does an incredible job of delivering a terrific experience – they provide a consistent experience and that’s what we strive for,’ says James Askew, former director of marketing and sales for the Pacific Northwest region of Intrawest. According to Askew, people are looking for an overall vacation experience when they go skiing, a holiday that offers more than skiing down the mountain. So to meet the demands of ever-fussier, more sophisticated winter enthusiasts, and to entice guests to stay longer, Intrawest offers a slew of services besides skiing. The resort village is at the core of this formula, and for Intrawest the most important ingredient of this has been the real estate at the base of the mountain.
Such convenient access to the slopes attracts more guests and fuels further commercial development, creating a bustling off-slope atmosphere.