Discover Banff Tours

2002 award for strongest commitment to staff heritage orientation

Staff Orientation Key to Company’s Skyrocketing Success

In an industry where finding and retaining good staff is a constant challenge, Discover Banff Tours has developed a successful formula for staff heritage orientation, for which it won the 2002 heritage tourism award. The guided sightseeing and soft adventure tour company has grown rapidly since its humble beginnings in 1999 with one leased bus and one full time employee. Discover Banff Tours now employs 20 full time staff offering ten daily guided trips. 

Discover Banff Tours owner Jonathan Welsh has built his business on the premise that heritage interpretation is ultimately the product his company offers.

“Heritage tourism is what we do, as opposed to being just one aspect of our business. For us, heritage tourism means getting people outside to explore this place. It’s more than history; it’s very current because it’s actually everything our guests see and learn about on each trip,” Welsh explained.

“Our tours involve snowshoeing, wildlife viewing, hiking through stunning natural landscapes, but really it’s our guides and other service staff that make the trip memorable. We aim to exceed our customers’ expectations in this regard,” he added.

Discover Banff Tours maintains a high level of customer service by committing significant resources to guide training and staff retention. Despite the company’s brisk growth rate over the past six years, it has remained steadfast in maintaining the quality of its small, personalized tours.

“We have worked hard to build a strong reputation as dependable and offering a consistently top-service level and the heritage tourism award has helped build our credibility with customers. Anything that distinguishes us from the competition is a marketing strength,” said Welsh.