Big White Ski Resort Reports Record Holiday Season Performance

Posted On: January 05, 2026 |

Guests travelling to Big White Ski Resort helped deliver a record-breaking Christmas and New Year holiday season, surpassing momentum from last winter’s record year.

Consistent snow conditions, expanded terrain, high-performing dining venues and a full slate of events, combined with peak skier-day volumes, drove strong visitation during one the busiest stretches of the season, with lifts, terrain and village amenities operating at near to full capacity.

“This holiday season’s record numbers were encouraging to see, particularly as Canada outperformed all other markets,” said Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice-president at Big White Ski Resort Ltd. and president of the Tourism Big White Society. “We saw a clear shift toward Canadian destination travel, supported by longer than average stays and strong international demand from Australia and the United Kingdom. That translated into higher participation across dining, ski school, rentals, retail and on-mountain events and activities.”

Consistent snowfall of the world-famous Okanagan Champagne Powder throughout the holiday period allowed the resort to progressively open terrain and facilities while welcoming thousands of overnight and day visitors. Despite a brief cold-weather challenge on Dec. 27, when temperatures dipped to –19 C, demand remained strong. The busiest days of the season occurred Dec. 28, 29 and 30, with total lift rides averaging more than 76,000 per day, led by the Bullet Express chairlift, traditionally the resort’s busiest.

Accommodation
Comparing Dec. 20, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026, with the same period last year, Big White’s accommodation sector reported a 9.5% increase in total bookings, while room nights rose by more than 20%, reflecting longer than average stays.

Australia led international growth, with bookings up 106% and room nights increasing by more than 80%, while the United Kingdom also recorded gains. Canadian bookings remained steady year over year, driven by earlier booking patterns and longer stays, helping offset alarmingly softer demand from the United States.

Supporting this trend, alluraDirect.com, the locally owned booking platform serving Airbnb and VRBO hosts on Big White Mountain, reported a 22% increase in holiday reservations. Early indicators for arrivals between Jan. 1 and March 31 show bookings tracking strongly for the remainder of the season.

Food and beverage
Holiday demand was reflected across all resort dining venues, with kitchens operating at full or near full capacity throughout the festive period. The Bullwheel and Fourth Ace Bar & Smokehouse both saw strong turnout, serving more than 18,000 guests and 9,000 guests, respectively. The newly opened Kettle Valley Steakhouse was fully booked from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.

Food volumes reflected both heavy traffic and strong guest appetite. Clocktower Coffee Co. poured 2,016 litres of milk, enough for roughly 8,000 lattes, while Spuds served 1,174 poutines, averaging nearly one every 12 minutes during peak periods. Alpine Burger Co. cooked 465 pounds of burgers, the equivalent of 930 quarter-pound patties, and the Kettle Valley Steakhouse prepared 575 pounds of Certified Angus Beef, including 40 Tomahawk steaks, roughly the combined weight of two full-grown grizzly bears. Fourth Ace Bar & Smokehouse slow-smoked 1,452 pounds of brisket and served 1,129 pieces of fried chicken, while The Bullwheel alone put out 3,915 pounds of French fries, about the weight of a compact car, along with 140 kilograms of cheese curds and 1,121 pink donuts, capturing the festive pace and appetite that defined the holiday season.

Looking ahead
Big White Ski Resort’s winter events calendar continues through Presidents’ Day weekend and B.C. Family Day, with early booking indicators showing approximately over 80% occupancy for those periods. The resort is also offering discounted lift tickets living up to its reputation “Locals never need to pay full price,” the POW Card, is now on sale with three- and five-day options providing savings of up to 48% off peak-period ticket window pricing.

With terrain and lifts fully open, more snow in the forecast and strong booking trends, plus a busy events schedule ahead, Big White Ski Resort enters the heart of winter with strong momentum, reinforcing British Columbia’s reputation as a premier world-wide winter destination.