BLLHA Destination Workforce Study

The Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA) is launching a comprehensive destination workforce study designed to better understand the people, skills and supports needed to sustain Banff and Lake Louise’s workforce now and into the future.

Led by Verum Consulting, the study will examine three interconnected areas: wages and total compensation across key roles; current and future skills needs; and workforce forecasting to better understand where the destination’s workforce will come from and what employers will need in the years ahead.

“Banff and Lake Louise works because of the people who work here,” said Mike Kelly, Executive Director of BLLHA. “This study is about developing a much clearer picture of our workforce, what people are earning and receiving as part of their overall compensation, the skills employers need today and tomorrow, and how our workforce needs are likely to evolve through the development of a new labour forecasting tool. The more members who take part, the stronger the data and the better the tools our members will have to make confident decisions about their future workforce.”

Looking at the full picture

A central component of the research will be understanding total compensation, recognizing that the experience of living and working in Banff and Lake Louise extends beyond base wages.

The study will examine wages alongside employer-provided benefits and other forms of compensation and support. Just as importantly, it will help provide a fuller understanding of the environment in which Banff and Lake Louise’s workforce lives and works.

Supporting the people who live and work in Banff and Lake Louise is a shared community responsibility. BLLHA members make significant investments directly in their employees, including staff housing, health and wellness benefits, meals, transportation and other workplace supports. Those investments are complemented by the work of community and destination partners including the Town of Banff, Parks Canada, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, the Pauw Foundation and many others.

Together, those efforts contribute to important community benefits, from Roam Public Transit and recreation and wellness amenities such as The Fenlands, to housing policies and initiatives that enable more employee and resident housing, community programming, settlement supports and other services that help make Banff a place where people can build a life as well as a career.

“Supporting our workforce is a shared community responsibility,” said Kelly. “Wages and employer-provided benefits are an important part of that picture, but so too is the community we collectively create around the people who live and work here. Employers, the Town, Parks Canada, BLLT, the Pauw Foundation and many others continue to invest in housing, transportation, recreation, community services and workforce supports. This study gives us an opportunity to better understand that full picture, recognize what is working, and identify where we need to continue evolving.”

Building better workforce intelligence

The research will also look beyond current compensation.

Through skills mapping and workforce forecasting, the study will help identify emerging labour and skills requirements and provide a clearer understanding of the destination’s future workforce needs.

That information will help BLLHA and its members identify where further work may be required in areas such as recruitment, retention, immigration, skills development, training and other workforce supports.

Building on Alberta’s tourism workforce research

BLLHA’s study also builds on workforce research undertaken by the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA). TIAA’s Labour Market Study of Alberta’s Tourism Sector identified the need for tourism to rethink how it understands the total cost of labour and recommended further research into compensation structures and the economic models that support a sustainable tourism workforce.

The BLLHA study takes that work to the destination level — developing Banff and Lake Louise-specific information on wages and total compensation, while also examining future skills requirements and forecasting workforce needs.

“Our provincial labour market research made clear that Alberta’s tourism industry needs to look beyond wages alone and develop a better understanding of the total cost of labour, including different compensation structures and the factors that influence recruitment and retention. BLLHA’s work is an important next step in bringing that research to the destination level and developing the local intelligence employers need to plan for their future workforce.” — Darren Reeder, President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Alberta

BLLHA members will play an important role in the study, with opportunities to provide information and perspectives directly to the research team.

Built on member data, for members

The strength of this study will come from the data our members provide. Because it draws directly from Banff and Lake Louise employers, role by role, it will reflect the realities of working and operating here in a way that broader regional or provincial data cannot.

In return, members will gain the benchmarks, insights and evidence they need to make the best possible decisions about their workforce, from compensation and benefits to recruitment, retention and planning for future needs.

Individual employer information will be treated confidentially, with findings aggregated to provide meaningful benchmarks and destination-level insights. BLLHA will share the study’s findings with members and use the research to help inform its future workforce priorities.

What happens next

BLLHA will provide members with additional information shortly on the study process, opportunities to participate and the anticipated timeline.

Members are encouraged to participate when contacted by Verum Consulting. The more businesses and roles represented, the stronger the data, and the more valuable the results will be for every member.

The study is expected to progress through the fall 2026 and winter 2027, with findings shared with BLLHA members as the work is completed.