What is Heritage Tourism?
Heritage Tourism is the active fostering of local and visitor appreciation and stewardship of the nature, history and culture of Banff National Park, the town of Banff, the village of Lake Louise and surrounding area.

What does Heritage Tourism mean in Banff?
Banff National Parks' reputation as a tourism destination and World Heritage Site is founded on its nature, history and local culture.  Banff's unique heritage resides in the spectacular nature of the landscapes and ecosystems preserved in the park and by the nationally significant human history that has unfolded in this area of the Rockies.  Our natural and human heritage is made real and shared with others by informing visitors from around the world about our strong local connection with place and how we respect where we live.

Why do we need a Heritage Tourism Strategy?
The world is changing.  Human influence on the planet is growing.  Where human impacts on the environment were once localized, they are not being felt regionally and even globally.  Natural landscapes are rapidly disappearing worldwide.  As they become more precious, Canada's national parks will become increasingly desirable destinations.

The Canadian West has also changed since Banff began to establish its reputation.  The ambition of settling the West has largely been fulfilled.  There is a larger regional population and the park is beginning to be surrounded by other forms of land use.  We are now beginning to understand the cumulative effects of these changes and the impacts they may have on Banff National Park in the future.

There has also been change inside the park.  New understanding of ecosystem dynamics is demanding that we re-think patterns of human use in the park if we want to protect the park over the long term.

There has also been a change in our cultural milieu.  The world-wide standardization of business planning processes, the global influence of media and the increasing urbanization and homogenization of world culture are making it more difficult to remain aware and appreciative of where you live.

We need a heritage tourism strategy to ensure that we can anticipate and respond positively to global, regional and local environmental change.  By encouraging tourism experiences that confirm the role played by local knowledge and a shared appreciation of the unique nature, history and culture of our World Heritage destination, we can strengthen our local culture and do our part to balance tourism and use with park protection over the long term.

We believe there is an intrinsic value to the natural and cultural heritage of this region and that heritage is in and of itself worthy of preservation and commemoration and celebration

Heritage Tourism embraces learning, enjoyment, education, understanding, appreciation and participation in the nature and authentic local culture of Banff National Park.

The communities are uniquely dependent upon the park's natural and cultural heritage.

Our tourism industry has a responsibility to help visitors understand, appreciate and respect our natural and cultural heritage so they can contribute to its preservation.

The pride the tourism industry exhibits in heritage presentation will encourage positive visitor contribution to the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage.

The strategy applies to all of Banff National Park but may have applications in surrounding areas.

We recognize that there are tangible benefits in ensuring that the Banff strategy compliments similar strategies in the other mountain national parks.

By embracing stronger heritage tourism considerations, tourism in Banff will contribute to better environmental stewardship in the national park.

The Banff Bow Valley Heritage Tourism Council is a volunteer board comprised of senior representatives of the Banff Lake Louise Tourism Bureau, the Banff Lake Louise Hotel Motel Association, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, the Banff Centre, the Town of Banff, the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association and Parks Canada.  It is the aim of this Council to implement a Heritage Tourism Strategy in Banff National Park.

Membership and structure of the Banff Bow Valley Heritage Tourism Council will change and grow over time to meet the objectives of the evolving strategy.

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is pleased to announce the rebranding of their nationally recognized eco-rating program, known from this point forward as the HAC ECOmmodation Rating Program. The program was originally developed by the HAC in 1997 to recognize hotels, motels and resorts committed to improving their fiscal and environmental performance. The program is a graduated property rating system, based on the results of a comprehensive environmental audit.

For more information on the HAC ECOmmodation Rating Program please visit: www.hacgreenhotels.com

P.O. Box 5817, 
Banff, Alberta, Canada, T1L-1G7

Telephone: (403) 762-5909
Fax: (403) 760-2374
Email: info@bllhma.com