Managing the Human Presence in Ecologically Sensitive Tourism Destinations: Insights from the Banff-Bow Valley Study

Nowhere in Canada has the preservation versus human use dilemma become more apparent than in Banff National Park. There is a need to identify those aspects of the human presence which are appropriate to preservation. Aspects of human presence felt to be of concern are the impacts of the broad range of activities, behaviours and experiences which humans pursue, and the development of the infrastructure to support those activities. The task of identifying 'appropriate activities' is not only technically difficult, but laden with 'value traps'. The technical challenges relate to our lack of understanding of the nature and severity of the many different impacts which human presence causes. The value traps relate to the broad range of views as to appropriate activities within ecologically, historically, and culturally sensitive ar- eas/facilities. Whilst the technical challenges can be overcome by means of information derived from research, conflicts as to activity development appropriateness can only be resolved through extensive negotiation, or at the ballot box. This paper describes how these concerns were investigated as part of a study conducted for the Government of Canada. The methodology and results provide insights that may be of use to others facing a similar challenge.