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2025 Business Plan

Strengthen the Tourism Ecosystem

2025 Business Plan

Elevate the Tourism Ecosystem

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Land Acknowledgement

We believe it is crucial to create opportunities for listening, contemplation, as well as actively contributing to a future founded on principles of equity, respect, and inclusivity.

In partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, we seek to continue meaningful and respectful partnerships while operating on the traditional territories of the Nations of Treaties 6, 7, 8, and in Métis homelands. We acknowledge and honour these Nations and all Indigenous Peoples now living here in relationship with this land.

Land Acknowledgement

We are committed to walking a journey of truth and reconciliation.

We recognize that learning how to be better allies and friends of Indigenous Peoples is a continuous process. We believe it is crucial to create opportunities for listening, contemplation, as well as actively contributing to a future founded on principles of equity, respect, and inclusivity.

In partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, we seek to continue meaningful and respectful partnerships while operating on the traditional territories of the Nations of Treaties 6, 7, 8, and in Métis homelands. We acknowledge and honour these Nations and all Indigenous Peoples now living here in relationship with this land.

We must help to create a more just future alongside Indigenous Peoples. For Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, that means listening, learning, and continuing to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous entrepreneurs, tourism ambassadors, communities, and knowledge keepers. It means supporting Indigenous tourism operators and celebrating Indigenous artists. And it means sponsoring local Indigenous-led events like the Banff-Iiniskim Powwow and Mînî hrpa cultural popups, as well as big industry gatherings like the International Indigenous Tourism Conference.

Elevating Indigenous Tourism is a key element of the destination’s plan to Lead Tourism for Good. Championing Indigenous Tourism is reconciliation in action – to help enable a thriving Indigenous Tourism economy, building cultural awareness and connection through a more enriching visitor experience.

Thank you all those who have helped to guide us in this important work. In 2024, we developed meaningful connections, solidified our strategies to advance this important work in consultation with Indigenous communities, and made encouraging progress. We intend to do even better in the year ahead. We are grateful for your patience as we walk this trail together.

Land Acknowledgement

We are committed to walking a journey of truth and reconciliation.

We believe it is crucial to create opportunities for listening, contemplation, as well as actively contributing to a future founded on principles of equity, respect, and inclusivity.

In partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, we seek to continue meaningful and respectful partnerships while operating on the traditional territories of the Nations of Treaties 6, 7, 8, and in Métis homelands. We acknowledge and honour these Nations and all Indigenous Peoples now living here in relationship with this land.

We must help to create a more just future alongside Indigenous Peoples. For Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, that means listening, learning, and continuing to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous entrepreneurs, tourism ambassadors, communities, and knowledge keepers. It means supporting Indigenous tourism operators and celebrating Indigenous artists. And it means sponsoring local Indigenous-led events like the Banff-Iiniskim Powwow and Mînî hrpa cultural popups, as well as big industry gatherings like the International Indigenous Tourism Conference.

Elevating Indigenous Tourism is a key element of the destination’s plan to Lead Tourism for Good. Championing Indigenous tourism is reconciliation in action – to help enable a thriving Indigenous tourism economy, building cultural awareness and connection through a more enriching visitor experience.

Thank you all those who have helped to guide us in this important work. In 2024, we developed important connections and made encouraging progress. We intend to do even better in the year ahead. We are grateful for your patience as we walk this trail together.

Letter from the Chair, and President & CEO

“Tourism is so deeply entwined in the many different aspects and corners of park and community, business and experience that everyone has an important role to play and voice to share... Our shared progress depends on our ability to partner and build meaningful relationships within and beyond the park.”

Lead Tourism for Good – 10 Year Vision for Tourism in Banff and Lake Louise

Letter from the Chair, and President & CEO

“Tourism is so deeply entwined in the many different aspects and corners of park and community, business and experience that everyone has an important role to play and voice to share... Our shared progress depends on our ability to partner and build meaningful relationships within and beyond the park.”

Lead Tourism for Good – 10 Year Vision for Tourism in Banff and Lake Louise

Our tourism ecosystem is a network of interconnected elements that work together to sustain a thriving destination.

It includes our communities, environment, culture, local businesses, visitors, interest groups, and industry partners. Each part affects the others, influencing the success of the whole. A great tourism ecosystem catalyzes collaboration, enhances visitor experience, and promotes a sustainable future. Lead Tourism for Good was created through this interconnectedness, bringing together thousands of voices to develop a shared vision. You will see this culture of cooperation throughout our plans for 2025. We will seek alignment and share resources to lift the whole ecosystem up. By collaborating effectively, we hope to empower our members, improve outcomes for communities, and offer visitors an even more meaningful sense of place.

This plan marks the second year of our Three-Year Framework. We established it to provide structure, continuity, and direction as we work together towards our community’s vision for a sustainable, resilient tourism sector. It articulates a consistent set of strategies towards the same four objectives: Protect Summer Revenue; Generate Demand for Overnight Stays in Winter; Champion the Visitor Experience; and Shepherd the 10-Year Vision for Tourism. We are excited to continue the progress made toward these goals in 2024. While we are building on what we have done, there is a lot that is new.

Summer remains a critical time – our community and economy rely on it. After playing a key role in post-pandemic recovery, our emphasis is on delivering better value for our members, addressing community and environmental impacts, and enhancing the visitor experience. To Protect Summer Revenue, we will focus on highly engaged, values-aligned international visitors. We will attract our Perspective Seeker audience with direct-to-consumer campaigns and content, as well as targeting visitors while they are here, encouraging them to experience as much as possible and stay longer. Summer programming will create cultural connection and boost visitor satisfaction. We will take what we have learned from our successful partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, to encourage responsible visitation in addition to promoting transit use.

We are placing even greater emphasis on our objective to Generate Demand for Overnight Stays in Winter, working to create more balanced visitation, year-round. This should lead to more consistent employment opportunities in the community from season to season. The November through April period remains our biggest opportunity to grow demand, and capitalizing on it calls for step-change rather than incrementalism. Winter occupancy in this destination is typically well below capacity – for the past two seasons, it was below 60%. We will align with members on winter campaigns, to drive visitation from those who will stay longer and experience more. We will maximize our collective impact, leveraging Travel Alberta and Destination Canada’s market development efforts in the US, and coordinating with big-spending members to drive international growth. Closer to home, we will expand our iconic winter events, enticing regional visitors for mid-week stays and extended weekends. We will continue our momentum in business events, positioning Banff and Lake Louise as a premier winter destination for incentive travel, and introducing a new concept that combines hotel members’ offerings to attract larger business events. Our Lodging Sector Marketing Program will further strengthen members’ collective impact, helping convert prospective winter visitors to support all business sectors.

As we begin to implement our Experience Development Strategy in 2025, we will continue to Champion the Visitor Experience. Through our industry-leading Member Portal, we will share valuable insights and data, better equipping members, partners, and their teams to enhance the visitor experience. The award-winning Ambassador Program will continue to equip newcomers to better support visitors, and support for frontline accommodation staff through our frontline communication initiative will better equip them to advise their guests. For improvements to visitor experience that are outside our control, we will continue to work with local advocacy partners, Indigenous Tourism associations, and organizations who represent our members’ interests with provincial and national decision-makers ensuring that the voice of the visitor is heard and considered in all important discussions related to tourism in Banff and Lake Louise. All this will be informed by insights from our Visitor Services team, who will lean into our successful tactic, “being where the visitor is,” both virtually and in-person. Adding value for visitors in the planning stage and in-destination, we will begin to augment these valuable human interactions with AI support.

We have made great gains in our efforts to Shepherd the 10-Year Vision for Tourism, leading by example as an organization, and celebrating the successes of our members, partners and community. Together, we have made real progress along the Vision’s five Trails To Tomorrow: Visitor Experience; Nature Positive & Climate Action; Community Wellbeing; Indigenous Connections; and Smart Tourism. But there is still much to do. With the goal of inspiring more great work, we will continue to tell the stories of local businesses’ commitment and progress in advancing Lead Tourism For Good, as well as sharing global best practice with our members and partners. We will launch our strategy to promote reconciliation in action, building deeper relationships, identifying barriers and opportunities for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses, and supporting authentic Indigenous experiences. Informed by a thorough assessment of our organization’s environmental impact, we will take action to reduce it, more fully integrating sustainability practices into our slate of events. We will advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion amongst our own team, hoping to be an exemplar for the wider business community.

In the second year of our Three-Year Framework, we hope you will take confidence from our progress to date and the way our plans have evolved. Some bold decisions are paying dividends, and we believe that finding new ways to do “tourism together” will add even more value. We are most successful when the different elements of the tourism ecosystem work together, with a continued commitment to lead tourism for good, and create a better tomorrow.

Forehead, Plant, Smile, Building, Window, House, Beard

Shawn Birch

Board Chair

Human body, Outdoor recreation, Smile, Snow, Glove, Tree, Sleeve, Gesture, Freezing, Jacket

Leslie Bruce

President & CEO

Our tourism ecosystem is a network of interconnected elements that work together to sustain a thriving destination.

It includes our communities, environment, culture, local businesses, visitors, interest groups, and industry partners. Each part affects the others, influencing the success of the whole. A great tourism ecosystem catalyzes collaboration, enhances visitor experience, and promotes a sustainable future. Lead Tourism for Good was created through this interconnectedness, bringing together thousands of voices to develop a shared vision. You will see this culture of cooperation throughout our plans for 2025. We will seek alignment and share resources to lift the whole ecosystem up. By collaborating effectively, we hope to empower our members, improve outcomes for communities, and offer visitors an even more meaningful sense of place.

This plan marks the second year of our Three-Year Framework. We established it to provide structure, continuity, and direction as we work together towards our community’s vision for a sustainable, resilient tourism sector. It articulates a consistent set of strategies towards the same four objectives: Protect Summer Revenue; Generate Demand for Overnight Stays in Winter; Champion the Visitor Experience; and Shepherd the 10-Year Vision for Tourism. We are excited to continue the progress made toward these goals in 2024. While we are building on what we have done, there is a lot that is new.

Summer remains a critical time – our community and economy rely on it. After playing a key role in post-pandemic recovery, our emphasis is on delivering better value for our members, addressing community and environmental impacts, and enhancing the visitor experience. To Protect Summer Revenue, we will focus on highly engaged, values-aligned international visitors. We will attract our Perspective Seeker audience with direct-to-consumer campaigns and content, as well as targeting visitors while they are here, encouraging them to experience as much as possible and stay longer. Summer programming will create cultural connection and boost visitor satisfaction. We will take what we have learned from our successful partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, to encourage responsible visitation in addition to promoting transit use.

We are placing even greater emphasis on our objective to Generate Demand for Overnight Stays in Winter, working to create more balanced visitation, year-round. This should lead to more consistent employment opportunities in the community from season to season. The November through April period remains our biggest opportunity to grow demand, and capitalizing on it calls for step-change rather than incrementalism. Winter occupancy in this destination is typically well below capacity – for the past two seasons, it was below 60%. We will align with members on winter campaigns, to drive visitation from those who will stay longer and experience more. We will maximize our collective impact, leveraging Travel Alberta and Destination Canada’s market development efforts in the US, and coordinating with big-spending members to drive international growth. Closer to home, we will expand our iconic winter events, enticing regional visitors for mid-week stays and extended weekends. We will continue our momentum in business events, positioning Banff and Lake Louise as a premier winter destination for incentive travel, and introducing a new concept that combines hotel members’ offerings to attract larger business events. Our Lodging Sector Marketing Program will further strengthen members’ collective impact, helping convert prospective winter visitors to support all business sectors.

As we begin to implement our Experience Development Strategy in 2025, we will continue to Champion the Visitor Experience. Through our industry-leading Member Portal, we will share valuable insights and data, better equipping members, partners, and their teams to enhance the visitor experience. The award-winning Ambassador Program will continue to equip newcomers to better support visitors, and support for frontline accommodation staff through our frontline communication initiative will better equip them to advise their guests. For improvements to visitor experience that are outside our control, we will continue to work with local advocacy partners, Indigenous Tourism associations, and organizations who represent our members’ interests with provincial and national decision-makers ensuring that the voice of the visitor is heard and considered in all important discussions related to tourism in Banff and Lake Louise. All this will be informed by insights from our Visitor Services team, who will lean into our successful tactic, “being where the visitor is,” both virtually and in-person. Adding value for visitors in the planning stage and in-destination, we will begin to augment these valuable human interactions with AI support.

We have made great gains in our efforts to Shepherd the 10-Year Vision for Tourism, leading by example as an organization, and celebrating the successes of our members, partners and community. Together, we have made real progress along the Vision’s five Trails To Tomorrow: Visitor Experience; Nature Positive & Climate Action; Community Wellbeing; Indigenous Connections; and Smart Tourism. But there is still much to do. With the goal of inspiring more great work, we will continue to tell the stories of local businesses’ commitment and progress in advancing Lead Tourism For Good, as well as sharing global best practice with our members and partners. We will launch our strategy to promote reconciliation in action, building deeper relationships, identifying barriers and opportunities for Indigenous-owned tourism businesses, and supporting authentic Indigenous experiences. Informed by a thorough assessment of our organization’s environmental impact, we will take action to reduce it, more fully integrating sustainability practices into our slate of events. We will advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion amongst our own team, hoping to be an exemplar for the wider business community.

In the second year of our Three-Year Framework, we hope you will take confidence from our progress to date and the way our plans have evolved. Some bold decisions are paying dividends, and we believe that finding new ways to do “tourism together” will add even more value. We are most successful when the different elements of the tourism ecosystem work together, with a continued commitment to lead tourism for good, and create a better tomorrow.

Forehead, Plant, Smile, Building, Window, House, Beard

Shawn Birch

Board Chair

Human body, Outdoor recreation, Smile, Snow, Glove, Tree, Sleeve, Gesture, Freezing, Jacket

Leslie Bruce

President & CEO

Who we are
We inspire the world to experience Banff and Lake Louise. Our team is fully committed to Lead Tourism for Good, the destination’s long-range vision for sustainable tourism, co-created by our community, adopted by the Town of Banff and Improvement District 9, and supported by Parks Canada. Through this collective vision, and alongside local residents, partners, and more than 700 member businesses, we welcome visitors and invite them to join us in stewarding this incredible place for future generations.
Read more about Who We Are and our Board of Directors here
Lead Tourism for Good
In 2022, our community developed a 10-Year Vision for Tourism for the destination. Titled Lead Tourism for Good, it received a coveted Skift IDEA Award. The vision addresses environmental sustainability, community wellbeing, cultural integrity, and economic prosperity.

“We must lead tourism for the good of people and park. This means developing and inspiring new and meaningful ways to enjoy this place and leave it even better than it is now. It means continuously changing and adapting tourism for good because, in a place which is proudly 97% wilderness, we must be wildly innovative within the limits of the remaining 3%. It means collaboratively creating a future where Indigenous Peoples and businesses are present and thriving within the park. It means championing an industry and community that is welcoming, safe and inclusive for those living, working and playing here. A future where this awe-inspiring place continues to be shared in transformative ways that bring out the best in each of us and inspires stewardship in all of us – and in generations to come.”

Read more: Lead Tourism For Good
Destination Values
Destination Values
Travellers are increasingly driven to choose destinations that reflect their own core values, and we hope to attract visitors who will experience this place in line with our communities’ values. Born from the process of creating the 10-Year Vision, we worked with community and industry to get to the heart of what unites us as a destination:

Nature
Our experience of nature is essential and transformative. It strengthens our connections to ourselves and to the world around us. We find perspective and meaning that compels us to explore, protect, and respect the park.

Hospitality
We feel joy and responsibility in being gracious hosts to grateful guests. Being genuinely warm and welcoming builds meaningful relationships and memorable experiences.

Curiosity
Adventure, exploration, and new experiences lead us to learn and grow. We exchange culture, knowledge, and ideas to enrich our lives, and to better serve ourselves, our environment, and our communities.

Read more: Why Destination Brand and Values Matter
Brand Promise and Priority Audience
Moments of Awe
Our Brand Promise is what we offer to visitors, and what sets us apart. It articulates what people can expect when living, working, and playing in this destination. What we have to offer is a feeling. One that draws you here, lifts you up and stays with you long after you’ve left. It can be found in every corner of the park, in every imaginable activity: Moments of Awe.

Perspective Seekers
Our marketing efforts are aimed at an audience we call “Perspective Seekers.” These are the visitors we want to prioritize and attract to realize our destination’s ambition to Lead Tourism for Good. For Perspective Seekers, travel is about expressing their values and what’s important to them. They are more concerned about social and ecological sustainability than other travellers. They are more willing to pay for exceptional experiences, value expertise, and as a result have a higher revenue potential per visitor. They are more open to visiting snowy destinations, and they are active and engaged across social media platforms.

Building the 2025 Plan

To support our progress towards realizing the 10-Year Vision for Tourism, our business planning is structured over multi-year stages.

Social group, People, Crowd, Audience, Shirt, Event, Interaction, Suit, Chair, Meeting
Established by our Board of Directors and Leadership Team, our current Three-Year Framework informs our approach for 2024-2026. It sets out four consistent objectives, and a set of strategies to help our members and community succeed. Informed by their perspectives, and our team’s expertise, we have developed initiatives to build on our progress into 2025.

To ensure our members’ voices are heard, we consult throughout the year. We’re grateful to those whose input helped develop this plan: our 14 Board members; the seven members of the Lead Tourism for Good Steering Committee; the 86 members who participated in our Advisory Groups on Business Events, Marketing, Travel Trade, and Events; and our Lead Tourism for Good, Destination Brand and Destination Values workshops.

These discussions, and the work that followed, were informed by our team of tourism professionals; combining expertise in marketing, destination development, and business intelligence analysis. We worked from a fact base of our own campaign data, business outcomes, Visitor Experience surveys, as well as third-party data and insights from national, provincial, and local organizations, globally-recognized publications and industry leaders.

In the spirit of collaboration, we benefited from our partners’ input, particularly the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA) and Association for Mountain Parks Protection & Enjoyment (AMPPE). We worked with Travel Alberta and Destination Canada to ensure that our plans are aligned, and that we optimize our collective marketing spend.

Our planning process was overseen by our Board of Directors, 12 of whom are elected from our membership, representing the Lodging; Restaurant; Retail; Transportation, Attractions & Entertainment; Service; and Ski sectors; as well as Lake Louise and Improvement District 9, alongside appointed Directors from the Town of Banff and Parks Canada.

We share this Business Plan with members, partners and others, so that we can work towards shared goals as effectively as possible. We present the plan to members in-person, virtually, and on our website. We show it to our community through a public presentation to Banff Town Council. The business planning process is a conversation that allows us to get valuable input and feedback from across the tourism ecosystem. Our aim is to help you understand how you can best leverage our work to benefit your businesses, this community, and the environment, and how you can help us make the most of our collective opportunity for destination success.

Who we are
We inspire the world to experience Banff and Lake Louise. Our team is fully committed to Lead Tourism for Good, the destination’s long-range vision for sustainable tourism. Through this collective vision, and alongside local residents, partners, and more than 700 member businesses, we welcome visitors and invite them to join us in stewarding this incredible place for future generations.

Read more about Who We Are and our Board of Directors here
Lead Tourism for Good
In 2022, our community developed a 10-Year Vision for Tourism for the destination. Titled Lead Tourism for Good, it addresses environmental sustainability, community wellbeing, cultural integrity, and economic prosperity. The Vision was approved and adopted by Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Town of Banff, Improvement District No. 9, and formally supported by Parks Canada:

“We must lead tourism for the good of people and park. This means developing and inspiring new and meaningful ways to enjoy this place and leave it even better than it is now. It means continuously changing and adapting tourism for good because, in a place which is proudly 97% wilderness, we must be wildly innovative within the limits of the remaining 3%. It means collaboratively creating a future where Indigenous Peoples and businesses are present and thriving within the park. It means championing an industry and community that is welcoming, safe and inclusive for those living, working and playing here. A future where this awe-inspiring place continues to be shared in transformative ways that bring out the best in each of us and inspires stewardship in all of us – and in generations to come.”

Read more: Lead Tourism For Good
Destination Values
Destination Values
Travellers are increasingly driven to choose destinations that reflect their own core values. Born from the process of creating the 10-Year Vision, we worked with community and industry to get to the heart of what unites us as a destination:

Nature
Our experience of nature is essential and transformative. It strengthens our connections to ourselves and to the world around us. We find perspective and meaning that compels us to explore, protect, and respect the park. -

Curiosity
Adventure, exploration, and new experiences lead us to learn and grow. We exchange culture, knowledge, and ideas to enrich our lives, and to better serve ourselves, our environment, and our communities.

Hospitality
We feel joy and responsibility in being gracious hosts to grateful guests. Being genuinely warm and welcoming builds meaningful relationships and memorable experiences.

Read more: Why Destination Brand and Values Matter
Brand Promise and Priority Audience
Moments of Awe
Our Brand Promise is what we offer to visitors, and what sets us apart. It articulates what people can expect when living, working, and playing in this destination. What we have to offer is a feeling. One that draws you here, lifts you up and stays with you long after you’ve left. It can be found in every corner of the park, in every imaginable activity: Moments of Awe.

Perspective Seekers
Our marketing efforts are aimed at a priority audience we call “Perspective Seekers.” These are the visitors we want to prioritize and attract to realize our destination’s ambition to Lead Tourism for Good. For Perspective Seekers, travel is about expressing their values and what’s important to them. They are more concerned about social and ecological sustainability than other travellers. They are more willing to pay for exceptional experiences, value expertise, and as a result have a higher revenue potential per visitor. They are more open to visiting snowy destinations, and they are active and engaged across social media platforms.

Protect Summer Revenue

Summer is a critical period for our communities’ visitor economy, generating the majority of the revenue that they rely on.

We have made an important contribution to the post-pandemic recovery of visitation during the May – October period, and this season continues to be a vital revenue driver for our member businesses, ensuring a robust economic foundation.
Values-led marketing to guests who stay longer.

Protecting summer revenue is not about increasing the volume of visitors, but enhancing the value for our members. To achieve economic growth without growing summer visitation, we will attract values-aligned Perspective Seekers, particularly international visitors who stay longer and spend more. Our focus is on encouraging overnight stays and promoting a diverse range of experiences that our members and partners offer.

We will focus marketing resources on highly engaged US and international visitors rather than the domestic audience. All of this will help maximize revenue without overwhelming the destination. Our tactics will include year-round direct-to-consumer content to engage our audience and support them when trip planning.

Target in-destination visitors to experience even more.

Our Visitor Services team will continue to assist visitors in making the most of their time, both in pre-planning and while in destination. With more than two-thirds of our interactions taking place in-person, we will continue to provide support at visitor centres and mobile kiosks. We will also connect through a range of other channels including live chat, SMS, and telephone, encouraging visitors to experience everything our member businesses have to offer. More satisfied guests contribute more to the local economy and recommend the destination to values-aligned friends and family.

Delight visitors with events and programming.

We will also work to improve visitor experience, environmental, and community outcomes during summer; and encourage in-destination visitors to do more through Plan Ahead responsible visitation messaging, and dispersing visitors from high-traffic areas with “surprise and delight” experiences like the Art in Nature Trail.

New research shows 66% of travellers are interested in including Indigenous tourism experiences in their future trips. To meet this demand and promote Reconciliation in Action, we will continue to support the Banff Iiniskim Powwow, Mînî hrpa Indigenous Cultural Centre Popup, and Indigenous interpretive tours.

Promote responsible visitor behaviour.

Promoting responsible visitation is key. Our plan is to evolve our successful partnership with the Town of Banff and Parks Canada, which encourages visitors to travel via transit, tours, and active modes. We hope to expand this approach to promote our partners’ key messages on topics like human-wildlife conflict, Leave No Trace principles, and fire safety. These will encourage more sustainable visitor behaviour and improve the overall visitor experience.

Support members to improve outcomes.

We will expand the frontline communication initiative we piloted in 2024, supporting accommodation sector front desk staff with real-time updates and information, helping them to improve outcomes for visitors, businesses, community and environment.

We will continue to deliver our award-winning Ambassador Program - this is especially important during the summer months to enhance visitor experience. We will refresh the program materials to integrate elements of the 10-Year Vision and share insights related to the wants and needs of Perspective Seekers, helping frontline staff better understand our priority audience and support our goal of encouraging responsible visitor behaviour.

Strategies
  • Attract values-aligned guests who stay longer and do more.
  • Target in-destination visitors to experience even more.
  • Promote responsible visitor behaviour.
Key Projects
  • Responsible Visitation campaign.
Key Performance Indicators
(May to October)
  • Average Occupancy.
  • Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR).
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS).
  • Average Length of Stay.

Building The 2025 Plan

To support our progress towards realizing the 10-Year Vision for Tourism, our business planning is structured over multi-year stages. Established by our Board of Directors and Leadership Team, our current Three-Year Framework informs our approach for 2024-2026. It sets out four consistent objectives, and a set of strategies to help our members and community succeed. Informed by their perspectives, and our team’s expertise, we have developed initiatives to build on our progress into 2025.

To ensure our members’ voices are heard, we consult throughout the year. We’re grateful to those whose input helped develop this plan: our 14 Board members; the seven members of the Lead Tourism for Good Steering Committee; the xx members who participated in our Advisory Groups on Marketing, Travel Trade, Business Events, Events; and our Lead Tourism for Good and Destination Values workshops.

These discussions, and the work that followed, were informed by our team of tourism professionals; combining expertise in marketing, destination development, and business intelligence analysis. We worked from a fact base of our own campaign data, business outcomes, Visitor Experience surveys, and third-party data from national, provincial, and local partners, as well as globally-recognized publications and industry leaders.

Our planning process was overseen by our Board of Directors, 12 of whom are elected from our membership, representing the Lodging; Restaurant; Retail; Transportation, Attractions, Entertainment; Service; and Ski sectors; as well as Lake Louise and Improvement District 9, alongside appointed Directors from the Town of Banff and Parks Canada.

We share this plan with our members in-person, virtually, and on our website. We share it with the community through a public presentation to Banff Town Council. Our business planning process is a two-way conversation that allows us to get valuable input and feedback from our membership. Our aim is to help you understand how you can best leverage our work to benefit your businesses, this community, and the environment.

Events and Programming – Summer
Banff Half Marathon and 10K
June 15
Banff Iiniskim Cross Cultural Powwow
June 7
Art in Nature Trail
July 1 - September 30
Banff Pride
October 3 - 13
Taste for Adventure
October 23 – November 6

Generate Demand for Overnight Stays in Winter

Winter presents both our greatest opportunity and our most pressing need to boost demand. Addressing it will require a step-change.

We will spend the majority of our resources on attracting visitors for the November – April period, encouraging them to stay longer and experience more. Longer stays are good for business, better for the environment because they reduce turnover and traffic, and lead to more meaningful visitor experiences.
Market to values-aligned, international visitors.

We will increase investment in generating winter demand across leisure, travel trade, and business events. We will align with Travel Alberta and Destination Canada to maximize our collective impact in the US, attracting highly engaged guests. We will support this with targeted paid campaigns, earned media, influencer partnerships, enhanced digital user experiences, and content development to elevate winter storytelling.

Beyond the US, we will continue our work in the UK, Australia and Germany, expand into markets with new air access including France, Korea, and Japan, and increase efforts in Mexico. Building on our work with receptive tour operators, we will make greater investment in joint marketing agreements.

Bring regional visitors to stay mid-week or extend the weekend.

We will create more opportunities for members to participate in our iconic winter events, extending their duration and enhancing the visitor experience. This will help attract regional visitors for mid-week stays or extended weekends, and delight international guests.

We are taking steps to mitigate the impact of unpredictable winter conditions on our popular SnowDays programming. With a full slate in 2025, we will work to attract new winter events for 2026 and beyond.

Be an incentive destination leader for Business Events.

We have made excellent progress positioning Banff and Lake Louise as a leading destination for business events, meetings, and incentive travel. Going forward, we will deepen our investment in framing ourselves as a premier winter incentive destination. In 2025, Lake Louise will host M&I Luxe, bringing values-aligned event producers and showcasing our appeal to high-end incentives and VIP groups.

We will support our members as we collectively pursue leads and secure business. An exciting new initiative is our concept of Collaborative Event Partnerships, uniting the offerings of multiple members to convert and deliver larger destination conferences. This will attract more high-value groups who spend significantly on accommodation, dining, and local activities, providing a crucial economic boost during need periods.

Strengthen the destination’s collective marketing impact.

To strengthen the destination’s collective marketing impact, the Lodging Sector Marketing Program will augment our efforts to generate demand. It supports the businesses who are best positioned to convert the audience we have attracted, and secure overnight visitation. This is key to creating overall destination prosperity: visitors who stay one or more nights typically spend more here, generally supporting all business sectors.

Strategies
  • Extend the winter season.
  • Attract values-aligned guests who will stay mid-week or extend the weekend.
  • Be an incentive destination leader for Business Events.
  • Strengthen the destination’s collective marketing impact.
Key Projects
  • US Market Initiatives.
  • Lodging Sector Marketing Program (LSMP).
  • Event Attraction Strategy Implementation.
Key Performance Indicators
(November - April)
  • Average Occupancy.
  • Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR).
  • Change in Room Night Demand.
  • Average Length of Stay of Canadians.
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Events and Programming – Winter
Snow Sculptures
January 17 - February 2
Integrated SnowDays Programming (including SnowNights)
January 17 - February 2
Skijoring
January 18 - 19
Ice Magic
January 29 - February 2
Made with Love
April 18 – May 3
Winterstart
November 2
Banff Craft Beer Festival
November 20 - 22
Santa Claus Celebration of Lights
November 15 - 16
In Search of Christmas Spirit
November 13 - December 31
Banff Christmas Market
Fridays to Sundays: November 14 -16, 21 - 23, 28 - 30; December 5-7
Hot Chocolate Trail
November 14 - December 31

Champion the Visitor Experience

Providing and enabling exceptional visitor experiences is at the heart of our purpose. In the second year of our Three-Year Framework, we will continue to enhance, elevate, and deliver on this commitment.

Our efforts in 2025 will focus on expanding our Visitor Services, enhancing the Ambassador Program, training and supporting accommodation members’ frontline staff, enabling members with valuable data, and championing the visitor perspective.
Make it easy for the visitor to connect with us.

Our Visitor Services team remains dedicated to being where the visitor needs us and supporting their experience. In 2025, we will revamp our visitor services resourcing plan to sustain staffing levels year-round. This includes early recruitment for summer, flexible hiring practices, and partnerships with local businesses to recruit guest service staff. As part of our brand refresh, we will update our mobile equipment and uniforms to ensure our team is easily recognizable and well-equipped to assist visitors.

In the virtual world, we will continue to monitor and respond to a range of channels daily, ensuring that our local experts are available to support visitors in real-time. We will look to see how these valuable human interactions can be augmented by AI. Our team will collect and share visitor insights and statistics, providing our members with valuable feedback to help improve the visitor experience.

Update the Ambassador Program.

We will further elevate our award-winning Ambassador Program, encouraging local people to share key messaging and promote positive sentiment around visitation. We will include more specific customer-service training and introduce ways to keep long-term locals engaged and informed beyond the initial presentation. We will investigate options to create a virtual Ambassador Pass, allowing us to collect data, track usage, and eliminate print material.

Enable members and partners to elevate the visitor experience.

In 2025, we will expand education, training, and support for accommodation members’ frontline staff. This initiative aims to provide a service similar to our Visitor Services team, allowing us to collectively add more value to the visitor experience across the entire destination. By elevating the visitor ecosystem, we ensure that all touchpoints in the visitor journey are aligned and focused on delivering exceptional service.

We will better inform and enable members through the Member Portal, successfully launched in 2024. The portal will allow us to provide data and insights to help members make informed decisions about marketing and experience development. In 2025, we will enhance and evolve portal content, offering strategic recommendations, resources, and workshops. This will empower members to optimize their offerings and better meet the needs of their guests.

Bring the visitor’s perspective to key initiatives.

For the elements of the visitor experience that are outside our control, advocacy remains a key component of our strategy. We will continue to bring the visitor perspective to key initiatives, working with our advocacy partners such as the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA), the Association for Mountain Parks Protection & Enjoyment (AMPPE), as well as Indigenous tourism associations and tourism industry bodies at the provincial and national levels. By supporting those partners and enabling them to represent the voice of the visitor, we aim to influence key decision-makers to act in the best interests of our members and community.

Strategies
  • Enable members and partners to elevate the visitor experience.
  • Bring the visitor’s perspective to key initiatives.
  • Make it easy for the visitor to connect with us.
Key Projects
  • Net Promoter Score education and awareness.
  • Experience Development Workshops.
  • Ambassador program update.
  • Frontline Communication Initiative expansion.
Key Performance Indicators
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Shepherd the 10-Year Vision for Tourism

Our commitment to Lead Tourism for Good remains a cornerstone of this plan. This co-developed vision for the destination is essential for ensuring a sustainable future that benefits our community, environment, and economy.

In 2024, we developed and completed our comprehensive Sustainability Strategy and Indigenous Tourism Strategy. These foundational strategies set the stage for our ongoing efforts to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our operations and to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities. In 2025, we will roll out and implement these strategies, ensuring they are fully integrated and embraced by communities, rightsholders, and stakeholders.
Lead By Example.

Our organizational Sustainability Strategy will help us protect the natural beauty of the lands known as Banff National Park, while enhancing the visitor experience. We will work closely with our members and partners to promote sustainable practices and encourage responsible visitation, ensuring that the destination is protected for future generations. We will take action to reduce our operational footprint by building a roadmap to reduce emissions, introducing policies and tools to actively reduce our footprint, and educating our team.

We will advance our commitment to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Roadmap by developing a diversity statement, and implementing bi-monthly DEI training.

A relationship-building approach to Indigenous Tourism.

The Indigenous Tourism Strategy will be a key focus in 2025. We will work with our partners at Indigenous Tourism Alberta to facilitate workshops with members and Indigenous operators, identifying barriers and opportunities to grow Indigenous tourism in-destination. We will continue to arrange cultural awareness training to members, sponsor Indigenous events and interpretation, and collaborate with Parks Canada and the Town of Banff to explore opportunities for shared advisory circles and coordinated efforts in Indigenous relations and tourism. Through building these relationships, we intend to create a more inclusive and enriching visitor experience that better reflects the Indigenous culture of these lands, both past and present.

Encourage buy-in to Lead Tourism for Good.

Our communications efforts will expand to ensure that the 10-Year Vision is well understood and embraced by our community and stakeholders. We will evolve the Lead Tourism for Good website, roll out a comprehensive communications strategy, and launch quarterly reports to keep everyone informed of our collective progress. Following the successful rollout of the Member Portal in 2024, we will use this platform to provide local businesses with valuable insights, resources and support.

We will protect the destination’s reputation by working with partners to address key challenges, representing the voice of the visitor, and supporting crisis response efforts. Our goal is to ensure that Banff and Lake Louise continues to be seen as a premier destination that values sustainability and community well-being.

Build on our digital foundation to create a culture of open data.

To support these initiatives, we will focus on exploring AI and enhancing our ability to earn and leverage customer data, building on our digital foundation to create a culture of open data to support destination management and marketing efforts. With no major technology acquisitions planned, we will optimize our website and other core systems, prioritizing first-party data collection and usage, and ensuring that data is accurate, accessible, and widely available across the organization. By leveraging the information we have, we can make data-driven decisions that enhance the visitor experience and support both business and sustainability goals.

Strategies
  • Lead By Example.
  • Encourage buy-in to the 10-Year Vision.
  • Take a relationship-building approach to Indigenous Tourism opportunities in Banff and Lake Louise.
  • Build on our digital foundation to create a culture of open data.
Key Projects
  • Indigenous Tourism Strategy - implementation.
  • Sustainability Strategy – implementation.
  • Data & Insights Optimization and Sharing.
Key Performance Indicators
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS).
  • Administration Costs as a Percentage of Total Expenditures.

Corporate Scorecard

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

2025 Goal
2024 Projected
Revenue Per Available Room

$288

$282

Average Annual Occupancy

65.9%

65.4%

Change in Room Night Demand in Winter

+37,000

N/A

Net Promoter Score

71

71

Admin Costs as a % of Total Expenditures

11%

11%

Operating Budget

For the Period January 1 to December 31, 2025

Revenues

Financial Contributions

Other Revenue

$ 14,810,000

2,998,000

Total Revenues
17,808,000
Expenditures

Marketing

Destination Development

Finance and Operations

11,607,825

5,464,004

2,154,437

Total Expenditures
19,226,266
Excess (Deficiency) of Revenue over
Expenditures before Other Items


$ (1,418,266)

Other Items

45,000

Excess (Deficiency) of Revenue
over Expenditures


$ (1,373,266)

Note:
As approved by the Board of Directors, the budgeted 2025 deficit represents a greater emphasis on investment to generate overnight winter demand across all markets to create more balanced visitation year-round. While we expect revenue growth to cover spending over the longer term, the short-term deficit will be funded through reserves.

Operating Budget
Revenues

Financial Contributions

Other Revenue

0,00

0,00

Total Revenues
0,00
Expenditures

Marketing

Destination Development

Finance and Operations

0,00

0,00

0,00

Total Expenditures
0,00
Defiency of Revenue over
Expenditures before Other Items


0,00

Other Items

0,00

Defiency of Revenue
over Expenditures
0,00
Corporate Scorecard
Revenues

Financial Contributions

Other Revenue

0,00

0,00

Total Revenues
0,00
Expenditures

Marketing

Destination Development

Finance and Operations

0,00

0,00

0,00

Total Expenditures
0,00
Defiency of Revenue over
Expenditures before Other Items


0,00

Other Items

0,00

Defiency of Revenue
over Expenditures
0,00

Thank You

Over the past year, our members, community, and partners have made extraordinary progress towards realizing our collective vision to Lead Tourism for Good.

We are proud to celebrate your efforts, and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you for your innovation, your commitment, and your kindness.

Corporate Scorecard

Font

Operating budget

Font

Thank You

Over the past year, our members, community, and partners have made extraordinary progress towards realizing our collective vision to lead tourism for good.

We are proud to celebrate your efforts, and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you for your innovation, your commitment, and your kindness.

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