Pedestrians are getting a permanent break in Banff. Hawaii Tourism Boasts Strong Holiday Numbers. And indigenous tourism is poised for a Canadian boom. A few travel tidbits for today. BANFF PED ZONE NOW PERMANENT Banff’s popular downtown pedestrian zone is now a permanent feature in the wildly popular Alberta destination. Town officials have decided to keep the zone in place from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend every year. Canadian Press reports the town decided to permanently fund the project, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of its annual operating budget. “It is, however, still unclear whether Read more
Banff National Park
So, you’re tired of airline delays? You’re in good company. WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech took to his Twitter account (@AHoensbroech) on Thursday and blasted Navigation Canada for a 2.5-hour delay on his flight to Vancouver. “Frustrating! Delayed by 2.5h on our own @WestJet flight to @yvrairport because @navcanada is understaffed,” he wrote. “We would have been perfectly on time, now many guests will miss their connections. Shows again why we need a proper shared accountability system across the entire sector!” Daily Hive quoted a Navigation Canada (NavCan) official as saying that staffing matters are just one of many issues Read more
Business owners in Banff are urging the Canadian government to get rid of costly and cumbersome testing requirements that are scaring away vital customers. Pete Woods President and CEO of SkiBig3, which represents Mt. Norquay, Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort, said the government’s requirement that visitors provide a negative PCR-style COVID-19 teset result before coming into the country is scaring away international customers that Banff tourism operators rely on. Speaking on the edge of snow-packed slopes at Mt. Norquay, which opened for skiing last weekend, Woods said Ottawa needs to “remove unnecessary and redundant measures that still hang Read more
BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA – I’m standing in a pretty mountain bowl at Sunshine Meadows with small hills all around dotted with white and yellow flowers. The sky is that famous shade of Alberta blue and the deep grey hills are patchy with winter’s leftover snow. Our guide, Thalia Christou with White Mountain Adventures, points out the yellow Alpine Butter Cups and the western anemones, which look like yellow and white crocuses but grow interesting, fuzzy bits to stay warm. They look like they’ve grown hair in summer, causing Christou to refer to them as “hippie hair flowers.” We spot Read more
