Banff tourism jump not paying off for all
Business owner says many visitors come from nearby and are not shopping much
A big jump in visitors may not be paying off for all local businesses.
The town set a record on Sunday with more than 30,000 cars entering and leaving that day. Ossi Treutler owns a shop on Banff Avenue and while he says there have definitely been more visitors to Banff this summer, they aren't doing as much spending because many are relatively local.
"Maybe they're bringing family and friends to show the area, they may not be doing as much shopping," he said. "They're not necessarily looking for something when they come to Banff, from the shopping perspective."
Treutler says it's international visitors who are more likely to spend in gift shops.
As well, a local food delivery company took a hit from the huge number of visitors clogging up the roads.
Traffic on the Sulphur Mountain Road was at a near standstill for hours, forcing the company to shut down service to that part of Banff.