Squaw Valley Connects with China
With the next two Winter Olympics being held in Asia — in South Korea in January and in Beijing in 2022 — it’s only fitting that one of America’s former Winter Games sites is looking to the west to expand its brand.
In the spring of 2016, Squaw Valley developed a “strategic alliance” with Genting Secret Garden resort, the site of the freestyle ski and snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle events in 2022. This partnership is expected to enhance the promotion of winter sports in China, which has seen the nation’s skier/snowboarder numbers blossom from 200,000 in 2000 to 12.5 million in 2015.
One of the more visible offshoots of that alliance was seen just this past spring, when a contingent of Chinese freestyle skiers arrived in the U.S. and participated in a mogul camp hosted by Squaw Valley “ambassador” and former Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley.
Another arrangement
And just a few of weeks ago, Squaw announced another partnership, this time with Toread, China’s leading outdoor retailer and travel service.
This new arrangement “has the potential to expose a broad base of Chinese skiers and snowboarders to the mountain experience offered by Squaw Valley (and its sister resort Alpine Meadows) and further increase tourism exchange opportunities,” according to a Squaw Valley spokesperson.
Exclusive promotion
One potentially huge perk for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows from this partnership is that the resorts’ information and vacation packages “will be promoted exclusively at 200 Toread stores in all major Chinese cities, through their travel agency and online travel site … to encourage destination ski travel” to Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, the spokesperson added.
“We look forward to working with the team from Toread and to welcoming … their customers to our mountains this winter and beyond.”