Recently got back from a short vacation to Banff.
While I love the Alberta rockies these are my gripes and why I rarely go and my daughter will likely miss out on experiencing these national treasures for all the reasons below:
- Unaffordable for most Canadians ($500 per night in Canmore for a small apartment)
- Extremely busy with mostly foreign tourists
- Infrastructure is terribly inadequate
Lots of Albertans say "limit the foreign tourists"
I say thats a terrible idea and not fair to them (would you want to be restricted from seeing the world?)
The Solution is quite simple - open Banff up to development. Make Banff a hub for tourists and citizens alike - get government restrictions out of the way (development in the national parks is heavily regulated) let the free market drive the tourist industry in Banff.
This would:
- lower prices for Canadians and Foreigners alike
- allow adequate infrastructure to be built reducing the demand on existing over taxed services
- Jasper and Waterton which are similar to Banff can be left in more of a natural state for the more outdoor enthusiasts keeping development of these to a minimum.
Unfortunately because of the governments in Canada this is unlikely to happen leaving our children to spend more time and dollar(soon to be Sats) in foreign countries where its much more affordable and enjoyable.
