Lead Tourism For Good In The News
Aug 3, 2023
CHANGE MAKERS
Category: People & Community
… The outcome was the creation of “Lead Tourism for Good- 10 Year Vision for Tourism in Banff and Lake Louise”, capturing the shared sense of privilege and responsibility to protect the area that emerged while surfacing the deep personal connection people have with the park.
Olivia Condon, Jan 03, 2023
The new year will bring a fresh vision for the future of tourism in Banff National Park. …
The Lead Tourism for Good 10-year Vision for Tourism in Banff and Lake Louise is a blueprint led by Banff and Lake Louise Tourism, with support from the Town of Banff and Parks Canada. Community leaders and stakeholders were also involved in the process. …
Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said at a Dec. 19 council meeting that the town is committed to helping achieve the plan’s goals. …
“Although this is called a tourism vision, it goes beyond the visitor economy and the tourist trade. We heard loud and clear this is about our communities and the future of anyone who chooses to live in the park, so we must take the steps to make sure Banff has the type of tourism we love.
Helen Pike, Nov 22, 2022
Tourism Together aims to bring region into next decade with community in mind …
“We’re feeling and seeing the need for us to really come together as a community to focus on the right kind of tourism, ” said Banff and Lake Louise Tourism CEO Leslie Bruce. “The kind of tourism that we can sustain and the kind that really helps share this wonderful place and protect this place for generations to come.”
At an open house on Monday, more than 200 people met at the Banff Park Lodge to look at what the working groups have come up with so far. …
“Community well-being is at the heart of our desire for successful tourism, ” Bruce said.
Jessica Lee, Nov 22, 2022
…A tourism vision for Banff National Park for the next 10 years looks set to focus on the preservation of nature, quality of life for residents, a strong economy, enhanced transportation and improvements on Indigenous cultural awareness and education.
Banff and Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT), working with the Town of Banff, Parks Canada and an Indigenous working group, completed an engagement process that allowed national park residents, tourism employees, industry partners and visitors to provide feedback on the plan, generating more than 2,000 responses. …
At a more granular level, conversations arose around providing authentic Indigenous tourism experiences and increasing representation; affordability and housing; traffic and public transit; and environment.
“Across all the research, the stand out is this appreciation and love of place, and from that, of course, follows a strong sense of need to take care of place,” said Jungersted.
Cathy Ellis, Jun 14, 2022
…In addition, for the first time, a tourism master plan is being developed for Banff that will consider community well-being, the environment and economic prosperity. The plan is being developed by Banff and Lake Louise Tourism, Parks Canada and the Town of Banff.
Mayor DiManno said she believes part of that conversation will include discussions on a car-free Banff, whereby visitors park and shuttle for the most part. … “Within that tourism master plan or tourism visioning for the next 10 years, I think we’re going to have a community conversation about what we want the future to be, and I think a part of that will be the concept of exploring a car-free Banff,” she said. “I think the Town of Banff is a partner in that conversation, but it’s got to be a community-wide one in terms of strategies.”
Cathy Ellis, May 30, 2022
…Officials with Banff and Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) say the master plan, which is being co-developed with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, will consider community well-being, the environment and economic prosperity.
“There was so much that changed over COVID, that it really gave everyone time to pause and reflect,” said Nancy DaDalt, BLLT’s director of visitor experience. …
Mayor Corrie DiManno said it is important for residents to share their thoughts in the survey on what sustainable tourism could look like and what they want for the future of the community. “As we’ve heard in the past from residents, there are challenges, as well as perks, to living where the world visits and this tourism master plan really is going to focus on that community well-being piece,” she said. “This plan will truly be co-owned by the Town of Banff, Parks Canada and Banff Lake Louise Tourism, and we will need that community buy-in to move the needle on any of the big ideas that are coming with this plan.” …
Development of a tourism master plan aligns with other long-range plans including Banff National Park Management Plan, which is expected to be tabled in parliament, and existing municipal community planning documents such as the environmental and transportation master plans.
Dylan Short, May 25, 2022
…“The tourism master plan will become the guidepost for sustainable tourism in our destination,” Banff and Lake Louise Tourism president and CEO Leslie Bruce said… “Through the community survey, we’ll gain the insights we need to ensure the plan considers all aspects of our community well-being, environment and economic prosperity.”
Banff and Lake Louise Tourism is working alongside Parks Canada and the Town of Banff to create a 10-year plan for tourism in the region. Several working groups are collaborating with various groups in the area on consultations.
“It’s a critical time for tourism in our area, and we have the perfect opportunity to rethink our approach,” Cathy Geisler of Banff Lodging Co. and the Wim & Nancy Pauw Foundation said… “Anyone who lives here has a stake in what’s to come. We see time and time again that we are a stronger community when we work together, and this is no different. Each and every resident of the area should take the time to complete the survey.”
Cathy Ellis, Feb 25, 2022
…This year, BLLT hopes to complete work on a tourism master plan for Banff National Park with input from tourism leaders, businesses, Parks Canada, the Town of Banff, residents and visitors. Group NAO, a firm known for its work on sustainable tourism development, is helping with the plan. Through this process, BLLT will clarify its purpose and examine the organization’s future scope, framing how it will work with stakeholders and the community to deliver “responsible future growth of the visitor economy.” …
“It’s a huge project and an important project for us as a community,” said Angela Anderson, BLLT’s director of media and communications. “It is going to be a guide as we develop a sustainable future of our tourism in the park.” …
Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno said she felt an “overwhelming sense of hope” as she read BLLT’s business plan. “Your principles, initiatives, objectives, they are strong,” said DiManno, who as mayor automatically sits on BLLT’s board of directors as a Town of Banff representative. “I am so excited about this tourism master plan. It’s going to be a vision that guides us into the future.”