For Valley Sign & Design, signs are an opportunity to reduce environmental impact.

Stories from the Trails

We're a small business, with a small team, in a small town. We can't eliminate our footprint entirely, but we can keep finding ways to make it smaller.

Stories from the Trails: Signs of Change - Rethinking Signage Sustainability in Banff

The Parks Canada Volunteer Program brings together visitors, residents, schools, community groups, and organizations to become active stewards Banff National Park.

This program brings conservation and tourism together in a practical, meaningful, and engaging way, giving visitors and residents a clear role in safeguarding one of Canada's most iconic and ecologically significant places.

Partners on the Path: Parks Canada’s Volunteer Program Inspires Stewardship in Banff National Park

Here in the Canadian Rockies, a new initiative is helping create pathways for Indigenous participation in the ski industry. 

These are the stepping stones to having more Indigenous representation throughout the industry.

Stories from the Trails: Growing Indigenous Representation on the Slopes in Banff and Lake Louise 

Member & Product Updates

2021_TwoJackLake_SUP_ShannonMartin-47

Member & Product Updates - June 2026

On June 13, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) tested a new approach to encouraging responsible visitor behaviour in Banff National Park.

I’m excited to see how the program evolves and whether rewarding visitors for making Park Mode choices can help visitors think differently.

2026_ParkMode_Activation_KassandraVillemaire

Partners on the Path: Banff & Lake Louise Tourism’s New Pilot Rewards Visitors for Responsible Behaviour

  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.

People respond well when sustainable choices come with a reward.

2023_MtNorquay_SnowSchool_MtNorquay (1)

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

Learn from Wonderful Copenhagen and their approach to responsible visitor behviour.

We only provide the concept and the marketing. The magic happens when partners and businesses come onboard.

Making Behaviour Change Simple, Rewarding, and Fun: Inside the Latest Speaker Series with Wonderful Copenhagen

Destination Updates

2021_BowRiver_CoupleWalking_RoamCreative (2)

Destination Updates - May 2026

2024_BanffViewpoints_Guidedtour_DiscoverBanffTours

Member & Product Updates - May 2026

Food is more than a dining experience at the Juniper Hotel & Bistro – it's  a connection to landscape.

We live, operate, and play in a national park. It only makes sense for us to care deeply about the environment...and plant-based food is one way we can do that.

Stories from the Trails: A Plant-Rich Connection to Place at The Juniper Bistro

In July 2025, the Stoney Nakoda Job Resource Centre partnered with Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection to invite Indigenous youth from the Stoney Nakoda First Nations to explore the tourism sector.

This partnership sparked ideas for future programs — not only in Banff, but in Jasper and beyond. We’re focused on building something lasting, guided by listening and learning together.

Stories from the Trails: Opening Tourism Pathways for Stoney Nakoda Youth  

Like most things, housing in Banff is unique. But with collabortation between the public and private sector, progress is being made. 

The progress we’re making in addressing Banff's housing crisis is the result of strong collaboration across sectors.

Partners on the Path: Collaboration is Adding Housing in Banff 

Partners are working together to strengthen the destination as an appealing and inclusive place to work. 

Stories from the Trails: Supporting the People Behind Banff and Lake Louise’s Tourism Economy 

Banff Public Library partners with local business Banff Ave Brewing Co. on a simple initiative with a meaningful impact called “Community On Tap”

Stories from the Trails: Banff Ave Brewing Co. Beer Supports Library’s Little Free Pantry 

Inside BLLT: Bringing Germany’s Top Travel Agents to Banff and Lake Louise with DERTOUR Academy

2025_Vermillion Lakes_Mount Rundle_Winter_Paul Zizka (31)

Member & Product Updates - January 2026

Images provided by Skibig3 for their member listings

2023_MtNorquay_Ski_Skibig3&&ReubenKrabbe

Destination Updates - January 2026

37,357 single-use items were diverted from waste at the Banff Christmas Market in 2025.

Stories from the Trails: Banff Borrows—One Year On

How can Banff and Lake Louise measure what truly matters for long-term community wellbeing, environmental health, and a thriving visitor economy?

The Index is not a certification — and that’s deliberate. Destinations need something fast-moving, something focused on innovation and continuous improvement.

Measuring What Matters: How the Global Destination Sustainability-Index Can Help Shape the Future of Banff and Lake Louise

By slowing people down, grounding them in place, and encouraging authentic connection, Stellar Experiences shows how tourism can be a force for good.

If someone leaves here walking just a little slower, noticing a bit more, caring a little deeper—that matters. And that’s how change happens.

Stories from the Trails: Stellar Experiences Helps Visitors Slow Down and Reconnect in Banff National Park 

For more than two decades, Banff Airporter has been more than a shuttle service, it has been a welcome mat to the Canadian Rockies.

Every full shuttle is up to 20 fewer cars on the roads. It’s a practical, everyday way that we lighten the footprint in a place we all love

Stories from the Trails: Banff Airporter Goes Beyond Sustainable Transportation

How is climate change shaping outdoor recreation, community life, and local business in Banff and Lake Louise—and how can we work together to create solutions?

5 Things We Learned at the Lead Tourism for Good Speaker Series with Protect Our Winters Canada

Incentive travel is big business in the tourism world—and it matters even more in places like Banff and Lake Louise, where tourism is the core industry, supporting nearly every job in the community.

Please credit Beautiful World Media when possible.

2025_ChateauLakeLouise_M&ILux_MountTempleBallRoom_BeautifulWorldMedia (1)

How Banff and Lake Louise is Redefining Incentive Travel

In this place, where wild beauty meets world-class hospitality, destination management companies like PDS are demonstrating that sustainability and excellence can go hand in hand.

Stories from the Trails: How Pacific Destination Services Balances Wild Beauty with World-Class Events 

The Locals Loop is a simple idea with a big heart: bring community together to move, connect, and put wellbeing first. 

I wanted something that gave locals a reason to gather...With Monod’s long history here, it felt important to carry that forward and create something that really belongs to the community.

Stories from the Trails: Monod's Community Runs Support Wellbeing 

Discover Banff Tours has set measurable targets to reduce environmental footprint while deepening their positive impact on the land.

Our guests come here to experience nature. That comes with a responsibility to protect it.

Stories from the Trails: Discover Banff Tours Surpasses Emission Reduction Goals 

Please credit Beautiful World Media when possible

2025_BASIN Glacial Waters_Chateau Lake Louise_Food and Beverage_Beautiful World Media (33)

Member & Product Updates - September 2025

Discover how the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership is helping employers build more inclusive workplaces through the Workplace Inclusion Charter. 

Stories from the Trails: Leading with Inclusion in Banff and Lake Louise  

How a local shuttle company is redefining tourism in Banff through living wages, employee ownership, and unforgettable guest experiences.

We take care of our employees so they can take care of our guests.

2024_MoraineLake_Transportation_MoraineLakeBusCo (4)

Stories from the Trails: Living Wage and Local Impact with Moraine Lake Bus Company

Banff & Lake Louise Tourism's Trip Builder is more than just a digital product. It's connected to a bigger picture.

Partners on the Path: Trip Builder Helps Visitors Plan for Joy — Not Disappointment

The waters of Banff National Park are a big part of what makes this place special but these waters are facing a growing challenge. 

"Prevention remains the most effective defense, and it starts with each of us. Everyone has a role to play in keeping these ecosystems healthy."

Partners on the Path: Here’s How Parks Canada Protects Banff National Park’s Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species 

In Banff and Lake Louise, every person plays a meaningful role in shaping a sustainable future for this extraordinary destination.

The balance we’re all seeking, really, is to protect the ecological integrity of this area for the long term and sustainable basis, while ensuring visitors can continue to enjoy and experience these parks—because they are for everyone.

Please credit Sherpa Cinemas and Banff & Lake Louise Tourism when possible.

2019_BanffGondola_Child_JakeDyson

Video about Lead Tourism for Good in Banff and Lake Louise

Together for Tomorrow: Collaborative Actions Toward Progress and Preservation in Banff and Lake Louise 

More than just housing, Priscilla’s Place supports the people who make Banff’s tourism experiences possible, including those working in hospitality, retail, guiding, and beyond.

"When the people who serve our visitors are themselves cared for, our entire community and every guest experience is stronger for it.”

Stories from the Trails: Sustainability Meets Social Impact at YWCA Banff’s Priscilla’s Place  

Banff & Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) launched a bold new responsible visitation initiative that encourages visitors to “Shift into Park Mode”.

Partners on the Path: Shifting Visitor Behaviour in Banff National Park

To support the visitor experience, the Town of Banff, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, and Parks Canada partner on an innovative campaign to move people around Banff National Park car-free. 

Partners on the Path: How Banff National Park is Moving Visitors Differently 

BLLT undertook an extensive process to build alignment around the future of Indigenous tourism in the national park.

2019_SulphurMountain_Mountain_ChrisAmat2

5 Key Learnings from the Development of the Banff and Lake Louise Indigenous Tourism Strategy

“Building and nurturing an authentic, genuine and trustworthy relationship must come first and foremost.”

Please credit Noel Hendrickson Photography when possible 

2019_VermilionLakes_Winter_NoelHendrickson

What’s Next for the Banff and Lake Louise Indigenous Tourism Strategy? 

Indigenous tourism is central to the vision for the future of Banff and Lake Louise.

Let’s celebrate the complexity as something beautiful – as a tremendous beauty – something we all share.

2023_HoodoosTrail_TunnelMountain_RobertMassey

Tremendous Beauty: What makes this Indigenous tourism strategy unique?

How do values shape destination marketing and decision-making? In this Q&A, Delaney Johnston, Brand Manager at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, explains the role of values-led marketing and how it relates to the vision for tourism in Banff and Lake Louise.

When we lead with our values, we all move forward together.

Partners on the Path: the Role of Values in Destination Marketing

How can we help visitors to Banff and Lake Louise make better choices—for the planet, the place, and themselves? Here's what we learned from Behavioural Scientist Dr. Milena Nikolova.

Choice design isn’t about limiting freedom but about guiding behaviour.

5 Things We Learned from Dr. Milena Nikolova at the Lead Tourism for Good Speaker Series 

Sundance Park provides an opportunity for renewed engagement within the community and visitors.

Partners on the Path: A Space for Gathering in the Town of Banff at Sundance Park

The recently completed pavilion at the Banff Recreation Grounds has been bestowed with a name that carries deep meaning and reverence.

Partners on the Path: Okâch — Îyethkabi Oûgitûbi — A New Beginning at the Banff Recreation Grounds Pavilion

Waste managment is a national park is an important responsibility, learn more about the Town of Banff's Single-Use Items Reduction Strategy.

We want to ensure that we’re not simply shifting the waste problem from one material to another. We need to focus on reusables and behavioral change to reduce consumption overall. 

Partners on the Path: Reducing Single-Use Items in Banff

Learn more about the history and process of how this vision came together. 

How Lead Tourism for Good Began

We caught up with Cathy Geisler to learn more about what the Foundation does and how their work contributes towards the vision to Lead Tourism for Good.

The Foundation reinvests revenue and profit generated by tourism businesses straight into our local community.

Stories from the Trails: How the Wim & Nancy Pauw Foundation is an Example of Regenerative Tourism

Banff Mental Health & Addiction Week is returning this May for its second year, bringing recourses and connection to Banff.

I felt like it was up to our community, our businesses, and our municipality to acknowledge how important the wellbeing of frontline people is to us.

Stories from the Trails: Banff Mental Health & Addiction Week is a True Example of Collaboration for the Community

Last year, in Banff and Jasper, Pursuit invested close to $350,000 in energy efficiency projects including at the Elk + Avenue Hotel and the Mount Royal hotel. 

Stories from the Trails: Pursuit’s Banff Jasper Hotels Embrace Smart and Sustainable Energy Swaps

A season of frozen fun awaits as popular events return, new experiences added

2025_SnowDays_Skijoring_RobertMassey-4

SnowDays Returns to Banff and Lake Louise on Jan. 17 – Feb. 2

In the world of tourism, food can be an invitation to unforgettable experiences and connections while supporting sustainability and the local economy.

2016_TheBlockRestaurantBanff_Winter_NoelHendrickson2

Stories from the Trails: Five Ways Dining Enriches the Visitor Experience 

Find out how SkiBig3 is taking responsibility to protect the environment. 

Stories from the Trails: How Banff and Lake Louise’s Ski Hills Champion Nature-Positive Action 

We caught up with Ali Buckingham, Business Intelligence Analyst at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism to learn more about how this destination uses data to shape the visitor experience.

Partners on the Path: How Banff and Lake Louise Uses Data to Shape the Visitor Experience 

It really hit hard to see what happened in Jasper so we felt strongly that this year we should contribute the proceeds to the Rocky Mountain Relief Fund and encourage others to do the same if they are able.

Stories from the Trails: Banff Adventures Annual Canoe for a Cause Raises $19,000 Towards Jasper Recovery Efforts

The hotel has taken a bold step in the fight against food waste.

Orbisk has already proven valuable. Its real-time insights have raised awareness and allowed us to make immediate adjustments to rotating menus, service, and preparations where we’ve identified excessive waste patterns.

Stories from the Trails: Fairmont Banff Springs Gets Smart with Food Waste

The Hide Tanning and Parfleche Residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is the first residency to focus entirely on a traditional artform.

Being able to revitalize culture in an institutional setting is really important and part of why we have these programs.

Photo by Rita Taylor/Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Stories from the Trails: A Space for Indigenous Artists and Tradition at Banff Centre

Through partnerships and initiatives, Banff businesses are working with Banff Pride to foster an environment where diversity is celebrated every day.

The festival is just one element of what we’re doing these days, what the community needs is businesses supporting throughout the year.

Stories from the Trails: Banff Businesses Committed to Supporting Pride

We caught up with Heather Szpecht, leader of the Banff & Lake Louise Tourism Brand and Strategy team to dive deeper into the how - and why - of our destination’s brand and values.

There are so many moments to influence a person’s perception of a place – it's really important to have alignment across the destination.

A couple walks down Bear Street in Banff in Winter

2024_WinterCampaign_BearStreet_CB

Partners on the Path: Why Destination Brand and Values Matter to Banff and Lake Louise

Siona Gartshore, a passionate Zero Waste Trailblazer has transformed her love for the environment into a thriving business. 

I think it’s about community involvement. You see things going on in the world, and it makes you think, what can I do? And so, what I can do is definitely control what’s going on within my business.

Stories from the Trails: Banff Tea Co. Makes a Big Impact with Small Leaves

May was an exciting month for the Travel Trade team with Rendez-Vous Canada.

Please credit Robert Massey when possible.

2024_SundanceLodge_Fatbiking_BikeScape_RobertMAssey-3

Travel Trade Update - May 2024 

Find out how a small donut business fosters connection, conversation, and community.

2024_FrankieDsDonuts_EllieCrabb

Stories from the Trails: A Sweet Approach to Community Wellbeing 

Find out what's new with Business Events. 

Business Events

Photos from Medicine Walk with Mahikan Trails. 
Photos by Conor Phelan

2024_MahikanTrails_CascadePonds_ConorPhelan

Business Events Update - May 2024 

2019_SentinelPass_Hiking_JakeDyson7

Sherpa Cinemas and Banff & Lake Louise Tourism

Lake Louise And Area Guided Hike With Parks Canada

The Hotel Canoe & Suites has said ‘no more’ to disposable coffee cups, for the environment and the guest experience.

We will heartily admit is takes a lot of people making a lot of effort to get this done. But that’s what is usually required to create a paradigm shift.

Stories from the Trails: The Hotel Canoe & Suites Serves Up Zero-Waste Coffee

For over 20 years, the hotel has been a key contributor to Parks Canada’s No Net Negative Environmental Impact (NNNEI) initiative. 

Why wouldn’t you want to preserve this incredible place?

Stories from the Trails: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Uses Data For Good

Now in its third year, the Cave and Basin Mural Project showcases ten mural boxes each created by an emerging Indigenous artist. 

In my learnings from Elders within communities, I’ve been taught how important it is to encourage youth to know what’s out there for them, in terms of opportunities. That’s a very positive component of this program.

2024_WhyteMuseum_DawnSaunders

Stories from the Trails: Murals Showcase Emerging Indigenous Artists

Read about the success of BLLT's corridor strategy with Tourism Calgary in 2023, and an update on The Gathering 2024.

Credit Bryan White / Bow Media @bowmediabanff where possible.

2023_SkyBistro_SITE_BryanWhite4

Business Events Update - April 2024

June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) honours the vibrant, diverse cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

Images from Mini Hrpa Indigenous Cultural pop up, March 24, 2023. BLLT Use only. Must credit Rocky Mountain Outlook and either Jungmin Ham or Matthew Thompson, see titles

2023_Banff_Minihrpa_RMOJungminHam2

Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day 

Summer 2024 visitors are reminded to plan ahead and prepare for delays.

Lake Louise Drive Construction

BLLT attended the Mountain Travel Symposium, a ski-focused tradeshow in North Lake Tahoe

Business Events photographs from March 2023.

What's New

Member & Product Updates - June 2026

Destination Updates - May 2026

Member & Product Updates - May 2026

Member & Product Updates - January 2026

Destination Updates - January 2026

Member & Product Updates - September 2025

Lake Louise And Area Guided Hike With Parks Canada

Lake Louise Drive Rehabilitation and Modernization

Canada Ranked Safest Place To Travel

Banff and Lake Louise Well Positioned to Capitalize on New Direct Flight From South Korea to Calgary

New early entry program at Banff Upper Hot Springs for Travel Trade group

New Experiences with Radventures

Travel Trade Update, June 2023

Banff and Lake Louise to host the Mountain Travel Symposium in March 2023

Parks Canada announces Bow Valley Parkway Cycling Experience Three-Year Pilot

Relocation of the Lake Louise Shuttle Park and Ride Lot