Interest Based Formulation of Tourism Policy for Environmentally Sensitive Destinations

Abstract

The Banff-Bow Valley Study (BBVS), a major, two-year, $2.4 million study, sought to identify a common ground between the enduring and deeply help views of citizens espousing the maintenance of ecological integrity and those supporting continued freedom of access and enjoyment, as the country plans the future of the 'Crown Jewel' of Canada's National Park System. This article provides a review of a consensus-building approach that has been relatively neglected in tourism. The approach employed, Interest Based Negotiation (IBN), appears to have succeeded in improving understanding of the issues involved, in arriving at a common vision for the future of the region, and in facilitating the first steps towards implementation of consensus-based recommendations. Nearly two years following the submission of the Task Force's final report and its over 500 recommendations, the majority of stakeholders involved in the process remained optimistic that the IBN approach had indeed proven useful in finding a common ground for ensuring the well-being of a magnificent tourism destination within a highly sensitive ecosystem.