The Pass That Sends Your Money Somewhere Else

Locally owned tourism operators compete against international companies you can't distinguish from Canadian ones. You use the Canada Strong Pass to visit Banff National Park thinking you're supporting Canada. You book camping, tours, restaurants. Some of those businesses are 100% locally owned. Others are international corporations that own the market. You can't tell the difference by looking, and the pass doesn't distinguish between them. Do you know where your tourism dollars actually go?

Canning celebrates 100 years of trail riding in Banff. Wardens originally protected national parks on horseback. The RCMP iconic image: they're on a horse. This is historically significant Canadian activity, not just infrastructure. But she's a locally owned entrepreneur sweeping floors, loving her team and horses, doing it because she's passionate. After COVID, small operators face challenges creating an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive. The same person sitting in front of development boards serves drinks that night to tourists. That's the reality of making ends meet in Banff where land is limited, staff housing is impossible, and policy doesn't distinguish between her and the giant companies.

Tourism is a nation builder and Canning takes hosting Canadians in Canada's first national park seriously. She argues tourism operators are the best environmental stewards because they're passionate and protect what they love. People leave national parks better environmental stewards than when they arrived, learning to protect special places worth fighting for. The question when you visit: are you paying someone who loves this place enough to fight for it, or are you paying a corporation that happens to operate here?

Topics: locally owned tourism operators, Canada Strong Pass, Banff National Park, small business tourism, environmental stewardship

GUEST: Julie Canning | horseback.com

RUNDOWN: Julie Canning owns Banff Trail Riders and warns that Canada Strong Pass users often can't tell the difference between locally owned Canadian operators and international corporations dominating national park tourism markets.