Partners on the Path: Lead Tourism for Good Recognized by International Judges at the Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards
Lead Tourism for Good has received international recognition. Judges at the Skål International 2026 Sustainable Tourism Awards described it as "an outstanding example of destination-wide sustainability communication that successfully translates a shared vision into measurable action."
The judges were reviewing how Lead Tourism for Good was communicated throughout 2025, and they called out several parts of that work:
- The engagement of more than 2,000 community members who shaped the vision
- Its own distinct communications platform
- 25 partner-led impact stories
- The Speaker Series
- The measurable change in behaviour from the Transportation Shift campaign
"This recognition belongs to our whole community," said Christie Pashby, Director of Public Affairs at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism. “Every business and organization that shares its story, every partner that carries the message, and every resident who shows up to a Speaker Series is part of what the judges saw.”
A vision shared, and told together
Lead Tourism for Good is the vision for tourism in Banff and Lake Louise. It was developed by Banff & Lake Louise Tourism and the Town of Banff, in partnership with Parks Canada, and shaped by the community through the Tourism Together process.
The vision is shared, and so is telling its story. The Town of Banff and Parks Canada bring the vision into their own plans and messages. Local businesses and community organizations tell their stories through Stories from the Trails. Those stories covered topics like Banff Borrows' reusable containers, the Wim & Nancy Pauw Foundation's reinvestment in the community, and Parks Canada's work to protect park waters from aquatic invasive species.
The judges also recognized Transportation Shift, a campaign run by all three partners to encourage day visitors to leave the car behind and explore via transit and active modes. Calgarians who recognized the campaign were two to three times more likely to use transit when visiting Banff and Lake Louise. Roam Transit carried a record three million riders in 2025.
"The judges praised our communications efforts, but without a broad commitment to this vision across the destination, there would be no stories to tell. The work comes from local tourism businesses, the Town of Banff, Parks Canada, Roam Transit, and many others,” said Leslie Bruce, President & CEO of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism. "It’s good to see our small mountain destination recognized on the world stage."
Keeping the momentum going in 2026
The work has continued in 2026:
- Speaker Series. Wonderful Copenhagen spoke in May on rewarding responsible visitor behaviour, and Destination Queenstown is coming up next.
- Park Mode. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism's responsible visitation initiative returned for a second summer. The Town of Banff and Parks Canada came on board to partner on the car-free element of the campaign.
- Stories. 11+ new stories have been published on leadtourismforgood.com so far this year.
- Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. Lead Tourism for Good will be back at the festival this November to share the vision with residents and visitors.
About the Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards
Founded in 1934, Skål International is the only professional organization uniting all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. It has around 12,500 members in 294 clubs across 75 countries. As an Affiliate Member of UN Tourism, Skål created its Sustainable Tourism Awards to spotlight best practice in responsible tourism around the world.
This year, 74 entries competed across five categories. Lead Tourism for Good ranked third of 25 entries in the Communications & Innovative Sustainable Solutions category. The winners were announced on September 30 at the 85th Skål International World Congress in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.
The entry was endorsed by Skål Canadian Rockies, whose members represent travel and tourism professionals across Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, Kananaskis and the Columbia Valley. Their board gave it unanimous support. Many of the businesses featured in Stories from the Trails are Skål members.
Lead Tourism for Good also received a Skift IDEA Award in 2023. In 2025, the Banff Trip Builder, guided by Lead Tourism for Good principles, won a Skift IDEA Award of its own.
Be part of the story
What is your business or organization doing to help Lead Tourism for Good? We want to know!
Email Us