Olympics Medals and Tickets Online

Prior to the start of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Gamer, Vancouver and Whistler are offering compelling accommodation packages to entice visitors to experience both host destinations now. The games will begin on February 12, 2010.

Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler want to dispel myths that Vancouver and Whistler are “sold out”, “too busy”, “under construction”, or “too expensive” in the months leading up to the 2010 Winter Games. These misperceptions are part of the Olympic aversion phenomenon which has been known to impact host destinations before and after the Games, leading visitors to stay away during what are actually great times to visit. Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler want to be among the first to avoid this phenomenon.

In fact, there has never been a better time to visit Vancouver and Whistler. Here’s why:

* Great accommodation offers. Get breakfast included with your hotel stay in Vancouver, and a four-day lift pass included with your five-day stay in Whistler. Full details below.

* Sneak preview of the host destinations before the Games. With just 85 days to go before the Opening Ceremonies, get your photo taken beside the Olympic Countdown Clock and see the Olympic rings floating in Vancouver’s downtown harbour. Zipline past the Whistler Sliding Centre and view the village below while standing beside a 30-foot tall Inukshuk atop Whistler Mountain.

* Transportation has never been easier or more enjoyable. The $600 million upgrade to the Sea-to-Sky Highway linking Vancouver and Whistler is days away from completion. And you can now get to downtown Vancouver from Vancouver International Airport by SkyTrain. The new Canada Line train is clean, fast (about 25 minutes into downtown Vancouver), and great value (just $3.75 CAD per person).

* Experience the Cultural Olympiad prior to Games time. Starting January 22, Cultural Olympiad 2010 will offer dozens of free and ticketed cultural events in and around Vancouver and Whistler, weeks before the start of the 2010 Winter Games.

* Ski or ride the Olympic and Paralympic runs! The snow is falling in Whistler and on Vancouver’s surrounding mountains. Whistler Mountain (venue for alpine skiing) and Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain (venue for freestyle skiing and snowboarding) have both opened weeks ahead of schedule, with great snow and short lift lines.

“Vancouver is just a wonderful place to be right now,” said Tourism Vancouver’s Stephen Pearce, vice president of Leisure Travel and Digital Marketing. “All of our major Olympic preparations have been completed and the city has never looked better. Visit us now and you can be one of the first to see what the Olympic Host City has to offer.”

According to Tourism Whistler’s Arlene Schieven, vice president of Marketing, “Whistler is currently offering some of the best value for accommodation and lift ticket packages in its history, and the atmosphere here is more inviting and exciting than ever. With all the early snow, we are off to a great start this winter season.”