Stories from the Trails: At Mt. Norquay, Sharing the Ride Comes with a Reward

For many people, a day on the slopes is more than skiing or snowboarding (or tubing). It’s about spending time with friends, making memories, and enjoying the mountains together.

At Mt. Norquay, one of three ski hills in Banff National Park, they’ve found a way to make that experience more affordable while encouraging visitors to travel differently.

Through their initiative “Cool 2 Carpool”, the 100-year-old Banff ski hill rewards visitors who share a ride to the mountain with deeply discounted lift tickets, proving that small behaviour changes can benefit both visitors and the destination.

It's also a powerful example of how Banff and Lake Louise is working to Lead Tourism for Good. Rather than telling visitors what they should do, Mt. Norquay makes a responsible choice rewarding, encouraging people to reduce vehicle traffic and emissions while enhancing their experience when visiting the park.

In doing so, the program brings the Visitor Experience Trail to Tomorrow to life by offering an initiative that inspires stewardship and responsible behaviour.

Rewarding the right behaviour

Since 2019, Mt. Norquay has been running Cool 2 Carpool which offers discounted lift tickets on select days throughout the ski season to visitors who arrive together in a vehicle or take the ski shuttle.

The concept is simple: reward people for choosing a lower-impact way to travel.

“People respond well when sustainable choices come with a reward,” says Simon Moffatt, Sales and Marketing Director at Mt. Norquay.

“Cool 2 Carpool isn’t about telling people what they should do. It’s about rewarding them for doing something that helps reduce traffic in a national park and saves them money.’

The program aligns with a growing understanding in behaviour science that encouraging responsible visitor behaviour doesn’t have to rely on rules or restrictions. The most effective approach is making the behaviour change the easiest and most rewarding one.

Making skiing more accessible

While reducing vehicle traffic to the ski hill is one outcome, accessibility has become an equally important part of the program’s success.

“Skiing is getting expensive, and for some people it’s becoming harder to participate in the sport,” says Simon. “This gives people an opportunity to ski at a significantly reduced price a few times each year.”

The initiative attracts a wide range of participants, from Banff locals to students and visitors from Calgary and surrounding communities. Some groups even organize bus trips around the event.

By scheduling Cool 2 Carpool on three quieter days each season, Mt. Norquay is also able to introduce new guests to the mountain while increasing visitation during traditionally slower periods.

It’s a reminder that sustainability initiatives can create value for visitors, businesses, and communities at the same time.

Small incentives, big impact

The success of Cool 2 Carpool reflects a broader shift in tourism toward using incentives to influence visitor behaviour.

Rather than asking guests to sacrifice convenience, the program rewards actions that help reduce congestion and vehicle traffic while creating a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

That thinking extends beyond the ski hill. As Banff and Lake Louise continue to explore ways to manage high vehicle traffic, programs like Cool 2 Carpool demonstrate how positive reinforcement can be an effective tool for change.

“We’ve seen people embrace it year after year,” says Simon. “It’s become something that people look forward to.

This initiative is a strong example of what it means to Lead Tourism for Good. By identifying a local challenge and creating a solution that visitors want to participate in, Mt. Norquay has shown how tourism businesses can influence positive change while continuing to deliver memorable experiences.