JASPER – Free summer access to Canadian national parks is anticipated to provide extra visitor traffic for a community still recovering from a wildfire.
Tyler Riopel, CEO of Tourism Jasper, said this was a great opportunity for both visitors and Jasper as a destination.
“The more we can drive high visitation levels and drive people into businesses and [have them] spending money around the community with restaurants and retailers and attractions providers, the better off everybody is through the process of recovery,” Riopel said.
From June 20 to Sept. 2, will offer free admission to national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas administered by Parks Canada and a 25 per cent discount on camping fees.
Additionally, Via Rail, which stops in Jasper, will offer free travel for children aged 17 and under when accompanied by an adult and a 25 per cent discount for young adults aged 18 to 24.
Fulfilling a Liberal campaign promise, the pass is meant to promote Canadian tourism in response to the U.S. tariff war.
“We’ve seen an incredible show of unity from Canadians since the beginning of the year,” said Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault in a news release. “Our Canada Strong Pass aims to make it even easier for families to choose Canada—to discover the beauty of our country, connect with nature, and enjoy our culture all summer long.”
Parks Canada last offered free admission at national parks and national historic sites in 2017 for Canada 150.
Because Jasper is more of an isolated destination compared to the Bow Valley, which is only an hour from Calgary, Riopel didn’t expect the pass to cause much overcrowding, and it would likely only increase regional or domestic travel since international visitors tended to plan their trip far in advance.
“The last time that this happened in 2017, there was an uptick in visitation to Jasper, so we know it will make a difference but for the fact that most people that come to Jasper stay overnight, I think we won’t see as big of an uptick as some of the other national parks,” he said.
This summer, Jasper is anticipating fewer visitors due to losing 20 per cent of its accommodations in last year’s wildfire. According to Tourism Jasper, the destination is so far performing at its potential, with hotels full booked and only a few campground spots still available.
Riopel said they were hoping for more day-use traffic, which has been historically small due to the remoteness of the destination.
“Going back to this Canada Strong Pass, if this incentivizes more of that type of traveller, especially for those close to regional markets, then I think it’s really big,” he said.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland described the Canada Strong Pass as a wise move to combat the threat of tariffs and focus Canadians’ attention on their national parks.
“The more Canadians become aware of their opportunities to visit Jasper, the more they will continue to return to Jasper for future visits, and that will help our recovery and our industry in the very long run,” Ireland said.
He believed that many visitors who took advantage of the free admission for Canada 150 became regular visitors due to the natural attraction of Jasper.
“People come and visit once, and they want to continue to return, and so every opportunity to engage them initially, show them what we have to offer works to our benefits in the long term,” he said.
Ireland noted the town has become increasingly busy, which was important for the economic and social recovery of Jasper.
“Those visitors support the jobs in our community so that people have an opportunity to earn and deal with their own individual needs, and it’s of course good for the industry throughout the community,” he said.
Some challenges include the reduced capacity of the townsite, such as only having two gas stations that are now frequently congested. Ireland said the municipality was working with local businesses to ameliorate those impacts wherever possible.
Ireland encouraged visitors to make plans before visiting, including when and how they are going to refuel as well as prebooking accommodations, attractions and restaurants ahead of time.
“Jasper is open and welcoming,” he added. “Please come and visit. It is a new experience, whether you’ve been here previously or not. It provides a fresh opportunity to see things in a different state with fresh eyes.”
