Sea to Sky Gondola: Community Hub Sustains Tourism Amidst U.S. Visitor Decline

Published on December 11, 2025

When you first step inside Summit Lodge, the immediate feeling is one of familiarity. It has the comfortable, low-hum energy of a large neighborhood coffee shop, filled with the gentle tap of laptops and quiet conversation. Yet, this is no ordinary café. The venue sits a staggering 885 metres above the ground, offering panoramic, breathtaking views of the mountains and the town of Squamish, B.C., spread out below.

This 835-square-metre lodge, perched at the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola between Vancouver and Whistler, has become a powerful symbol of a new era in Canadian tourism: one defined by local connection and resilience. The gondola, which attracts roughly half a million visitors a year, has successfully navigated the choppy waters of post-pandemic travel and a noticeable dip in its traditionally strong American market by digging deep into its own community roots.

As Kirby Brown, the gondola’s general manager, proudly states, “Fifty per cent of the pass holders we have are from the area and that’s always been a point of pride for us.” This profound local loyalty has not just been a bonus; it has been the bedrock of its sustained success.

The Shifting Sands of Tourism: A National Trend

The gondola’s strategy directly addresses a national challenge. Data from Destination B.C. shows that U.S. overnight entries to the province are down 1.4 per cent so far this year (as of September), with significant year-over-year drops observed in January (24.7 per cent), May (9.6 per cent), and April (8.2 per cent). Statistics Canada confirms the trend, reporting that U.S.-resident trips to Canada fell for a seventh consecutive month in August.

While Canadians usually account for about 75 per cent of overnight stays, international guests typically spend more than twice as much, making their volume crucial for high-value revenue. To buffer this decline, B.C.’s tourism sector has seen a surge in international arrivals from Asia (China up 26.5 per cent; Japan up 16.8 per cent; and South Korea up 16.4 per cent year-over-year), helping to compensate for the U.S. decrease.

Amidst these shifts, the lesson is clear: relying solely on unpredictable international markets is no longer sustainable. As Rachel Dodds, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University specializing in sustainable tourism, points out, “COVID really made people realize that you couldn’t continuously depend on international travellers.” She notes that a “buy local” surge has prompted Canadians to embrace “staycations,” underscoring that attractions “need the resident market and the domestic market” to stabilize year-round revenue.

Resilience Forged in Adversity

The Sea to Sky Gondola’s commitment to its community was hardened by extreme adversity. After suffering two major acts of vandalism in 2019 and 2020, where the gondola cables were deliberately cut, the response from the community was immediate and overwhelming. As Mr. Brown recalls, “All we heard from the community was we’re here for you. Please get back up and running.” The rapid rebuilding wasn’t just logistical; it was an act of “simple determination” fueled by local demand.

Since the pandemic, that same community spirit has inspired the team to get “more creative to stay relevant.” This involves “digging in and making sure that… the programming is attractive” to locals who live just moments away.

The successful strategies are deeply rooted in local lifestyle:

• “Baby and Me” Program: A popular weekly drop-in hiking and snowshoe program, led by a pre- and postnatal fitness expert. It provides a crucial social outlet for parents, offering “evolved conversation while you’re being social, getting some exercise and understanding that you’re not alone in the haywire nature of having young kids.”
• “Spirit of the Season”: A highly successful winter festival that transforms the summit into a wonderland with decorated forest walks, Santa photos, and fireside hot chocolate, creating new holiday traditions for local families.

The Multi-Purpose Venue Model

The gondola’s success in attracting locals has not gone unnoticed. Walt Judas, the former chief executive officer of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C., praises the attraction for its adaptability: “It’s not just bringing people to the top for a view. It’s actually being able to use that venue as a multi-purpose venue.”

The Summit Lodge now regularly hosts weddings, corporate events, and Christmas parties alongside its traditional sightseeing functions. It has become a crucial base for the outdoor-loving public, even allowing hikers who tackle the intense Sea to Summit trail to ride the gondola back down—a powerful integration into the adventure tourism economy.

This model is being replicated across B.C. The Capilano Suspension Bridge offers a B.C. Residents Annual Pass to encourage year-round returns, and the Vancouver Aquarium hosts “Fish and Sips” nights, offering locals after-hours access and member perks. These initiatives acknowledge that locals are not just tourists; they are the reliable, repeat customers who stabilize revenue, especially during shoulder seasons.

For Kirby Brown, the focus is less on sheer revenue and more on the value of a sustained, deep community relationship. “You can either be like a roadside attraction,” he says, “or you can be a meaningful addition to the community that you’re in as an adventure tourism operator.”

The Sea to Sky Gondola’s success story is a blueprint for resilient tourism, proving that by investing in the people right outside your doors, an attraction can not only survive global economic shifts but can genuinely thrive, enriching the entire regional economy through what is essentially the “domino effect” of local pride.