Locals are wondering why Parks Canada has allowed a US company to have a near monopoly over paid visitor attractions in two of our beloved national parks – Banff and Jasper.
Pursuit, a subsidiary of Arizona-based VIAD Corp, owns the Banff Gondola at Sulphur Mountain, Lake Minnewanka Cruise, Columbia Icefield Adventure, Maligne Lake Cruise, and the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.
This past summer, Pursuit snapped up the Jasper SkyTram.
VIAD now has a stranglehold on about 90 percent of commercial attractions around Banff and Jasper National Parks.
There’s more. The company also owns the Brewster Express bus line, two hotels in Banff, seven hotels in Jasper, the Glacier View Lodge on Icefield Parkway, and the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park.
“This is a major national scandal,” Adam Waterous, the Alberta oil billionaire who owns Banff’s Mount Norquay Ski Resort, told the Calgary Herald.
“Federal regulators are supposed to prevent this (anti-competitive behaviour), but Parks Canada is handing these Canadian crown jewels to an American company,” he continued.
No Love for Locals
According to Waterous, Pursuit has been on a tourism empire-building spree since 2011.
Parks Canada has been more than happy to help, rubber stamping the company’s efforts to build one new hotel and buy eight others over the past dozen years.
Waterous and the owners of Lake Louise and Sunshine Village are accusing VIAD of predatory practices through price bundling – offering discounts on its attractions at the expense of local businesses.
They’re also accusing the federal government of sitting on their hands while Pursuit built its monopoly.
The company is currently offering Pursuit Passes on its website for up to 40 percent off. These passes include discounts and access to attractions, restaurants, and businesses under Pursuit’s thumb.
Pursuit’s ownership of Brewster, a roster of hotels, and its paid visitor attractions means that their customers can visit Banff and Jasper without spending a dime at local businesses.
That’s why Waterous and other business owners want the feds to investigate.
A Predatory Monopoly
According to the Competition Bureau, the federal agency that oversees monopolies, “predatory acts involve a firm deliberately setting the price of a product(s) below an appropriate measure of its own cost to eliminate, discipline, or deter entry or expansion of a competitor.”
It’s not just rich Canadian business owners steaming over this American monopoly.
Familiar-Star-5176, commenting on Reddit, called their experience with the Pursuit reservation and booking system “horrible.”
“Overall, I find Banff’s experience very hard to plan in general and this pass from Pursuit is not really helping. But due to zero competition, you are stuck!” they wrote.
VIAD, founded in 1926, also owns tourism businesses in Vancouver, Alaska, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
Through its other subsidiary Global Event Services, VIAD organizes meetings and events throughout North America, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates.
The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In its second 2024 quarter ending in June, VIAD posted USD$378.5 million in sales.
Local businesses are our province’s bread and butter.
Why is Parks Canada, an agency responsible for protecting and promoting Canada’s identity, allowing Pursuit’s near monopoly to grow unchecked?
