Membership
Overview
Tourism Whistler is a legislated mandatory membership organization which is empowered to market Whistler on behalf of its Members. All owners of what is designated "Resort Lands" in Whistler must be a Member of Tourism Whistler and contribute assessment fees to support ongoing marketing and sales initiatives. We encourage you to visit each of the departmental sections of this website to understand the role of each department and current initiatives in the marketplace.
Whistler's success is based on both its national and international appeal. Its recognition as a world-class resort is the result of strategic and aggressive marketing by Tourism Whistler and its Members. Over the long term, economic benefits are not limited solely to the owners of commercial businesses in the resort. Residents who purchase property on Resort Land acknowledge that contributions will be made to Tourism Whistler in order to market and sell the resort to the world. In turn, the positioning of Whistler as a premier year-round mountain resort has contributed to the long-term growth in property value seen by residential Members of Tourism Whistler.
Assessment Fees
Those who purchase a residential property on Resort Lands are required to declare how they are using the property in order to determine associated assessment fees. This declaration can be made by submitting a Residential Member Use Declaration Form. The Residential Member Use Declaration Form is also required every year between October 1 and December 31 so that owners can notify Tourism Whistler of any changes to their usage throughout the year that may affect they Member Assessment fees. Generally, those owners using their property for nightly rentals are required to pay commercial fees in addition to the common fees which are paid by all Members (regardless of property use). Owners of Commercial property pay fees related to the square footage of their business. For an explanation of fees, please click on the 'How fees are calculated" button on the right.
Restrictive covenants
Some properties have what's called a "restrictive covenant" on title, requiring the owner to place the property in a rental pool. Restrictive covenants have been placed on specific properties by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to ensure perpetual availability and use of tourist beds near Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain facilities and other village amenities. This guarantees a minimum-percentage of accommodations for tourists - a critical factor to the success of Whistler as a year-round destination.
Voting at the AGM
All Members of Tourism Whistler have the potential eligibility to vote in the election of Directors and during the Annual General Meeting each Spring. Depending upon classification, and their status with respect to outstanding assessments, a Member will be eligible to vote for specific Director position(s) up for election in any given year. Note: Only one individual may vote on behalf of a Member - and this individual must be officially authorized to act on behalf of the Member.
General
There are many benefits available to Members as outlined here. Please also visit the Get Involved page to see opportunities for your business to get involved.
There are a number of Member forms available to sign up for paperless communications, update your account, set up pre authorised payments and pay online. Please click on the box on the right.
To claim an exemption from Commercial Fees, the User Declaration Form needs to be submitted by December 31st each year.
For those organizations not located on Resort Land, we have a voluntary Affiliate program that offers certain benefits in exchange for an annual fee.
Commercial Tenants in buildings on Resort Land are automatically Members as TW Membership Fees are charged to the owner/landlord. As a result, full Membership benefits and opportunities are available to Commercial Tenants as long as an application form is submitted.