Banff, Lake Louise is looking for more visitors in 2025 as Jasper rebuilds

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CALGARY – The devastating effects of the wildfires that devastated the town of Jasper last summer could continue to affect Alberta’s tourism industry by 2025, industry insiders say.

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At Charming Inns of Alberta — a group of privately owned small inns with locations across the province — operators in Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore are gearing up for a busier-than-usual summer.

These already overcrowded Rocky Mountain properties could become even more crowded if travelers who would otherwise visit Jasper look to other options instead, said Charming Inns director of marketing James Hague.

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“Certainly, in 2024, we saw pickup in Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore (because of the Jasper fire),” Hague said.

“And it’s unfortunate, but we can expect a little bit of take-off in 2025.”

Jasper National Park — traditionally Canada’s second most visited national park and home to attractions like the Columbia Icefield _ made headlines around the world in July when a raging wildfire tore through the area.

One-third of the buildings in the park’s historic downtown were damaged or destroyed. Visitation to Jasper, which reached an all-time high of 2.48 million people in 2023, dropped to nearly zero in August, according to ATB Financial.

Jasper is rebuilding, and both the park and downtown are open for business toward 2025. But visitors planning a trip there are encouraged to confirm in advance what services will be available.

Although many hotels survived the fire, a few were destroyed, meaning Jasper will not have the same overnight capacity as it did before the disaster.

“I think our hotel operators are expecting that we’re going to get an overflow (this summer) of people who were planning to go to Jasper and not getting capacity there,” said David Matys, vice president of destination development with Banff & Lake Louise. tourism, although he said the uptick would be small.

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Banff is Canada’s oldest and most visited natural park, located approximately 280 kilometers southeast of Jasper. Visits to the park have grown by 31 per cent over the past decade to 4.28 million visits last year, making 2023/24 Banff’s busiest year on record.

In its park management plan posted on its website, Parks Canada says traffic and overcrowding are a growing concern, both in the city of Banff itself and in nearby areas such as Lake Louise and Moraine Lake where traffic management staff are needed 24 hours a day to manage capacity. .

In the summer of 2023, approximately 1,800 vehicles per day were driven from Lake Louise due to overcrowding, according to Parks Canada.

Clara-Jane Blye, a postdoctoral fellow in kinesiology, sport and recreation at the University of Alberta, said all of Alberta’s parks and outdoor recreation areas have seen a significant increase in visits following the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said it is wise for businesses in the already popular Rocky Mountain area to prepare for more visitors as Jasper works to rebuild.

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He also said it’s a good idea for Alberta to promote some of its lesser-known destinations this summer, which could help ease the burden on popular destinations like Banff and Lake Louise.

But Blye said that while some visitors may choose to avoid Jasper, others may seek it out on purpose.

“There’s really cool research on this idea of ​​compassionate travel, suggesting that people will want to visit Jasper to show solidarity and support,” Blye said.

“I think we may see some of those people visit Jasper or areas around Jasper and they may be turned away from Banff.”

Hague, with Charming Inns, said the city of Canmore, located east of Banff on the Trans-Canada Highway, is preparing for more visitors next year because of the G7 summit that will be held in nearby Kananaskis country. He said Canmore and other mountain towns may need to work harder this summer to ensure they are ready for higher volumes.

“I would imagine that you will see (businesses) offering slightly higher salaries and benefits, or end-of-season bonuses to entice team members to continue the full season,” he said.

“That’s the kind of thing I hear and see.”

But in iconic Banff, Hague said tour operators are already used to the annual influx of visitors and are likely to absorb any further increases in 2025.

“In Banff, it’s just one level of chaos to another. It’s busy every year,” said Hague.

“Whether you stay at 95 or 98 percent, it’s not a big difference in performance.”

This Canadian Press report was first published on December 15, 2024.

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