Competition watchdog wants feds to curb U.S. company’s domination of Banff and Jasper tourist attractions

Brewster Sightseeing (file photo)

Canada’s competition watchdog wants the federal government to stop an American company’s dominance of the Banff and Jasper sightseeing industries.

The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project has issued a new report calling for Pursuit Hospitality and Attractions to be forced to sell off some of its attractions in the area.

Pursuit owns six of the nine “prime paid” tourist attractions, including the Banff Gondola and Columbia Icefields Skywalk.

Its parent company also operates bus line Brewster Express and 10 local hotels.

The company, which has a Canadian CEO, David Barry, operates tourist attractions in Canada, the U.S., Iceland and Costa Rica.

It was part of a consortium of tourist operators, including Fairmont Hotels, the Rocky Mountaineer and Jasper Brewing Co., that pledged $5.5 million to help in the recovery of Jasper National Park following the 2024 wildfire.

Pursuit pledged $3 million, which Barry said would be used to fund local initiatives through a transparent, community-led grant system.

The watchdog says its ownership level is well above anti-competitive levels of market concentration, advocating that Pursuit must sell off assets “to keep our national parks Canadian.”

“If we can’t protect Canadians from U.S. monopolies in our own national parks, where can we protect ourselves?” said Adam Waterous, from Norquay Ski and Sightseeing Resort.

Operators at Norquay, Lake Louise and Banff Sunshine filed a complaint last year against Arizona-based Viad Corp.

Competition Bureau Canada said its investigation came back clear then, but those operators are hoping it’ll now be reopened.