Banff poised to benefit from low dollar, cheaper gas

With prices at the pump dropping and the Canadian dollar getting cheaper, business in Banffcould be poised for a boom.

The low exchange rate will likely draw Americans back to the Canadian Rockies, saidBanffLake Louise Tourismmarketing director Kurt Schroeder.

"The U.S. market has remained flat-ish compared to many other international markets. So with the downturn in the dollar, maybe an upturn in visitors, he said.

Mark Hendrikse, marketing director for Brewster Travel Canada, said he is also optimistic about 2015.

"The lower fuel cost, because we do get a lot of folks driving in from the United States, so we really do hope that that will really incent travellers and help them to come to Alberta and the Canadian Rockies next year, he said.

Now thinking a little bit about our fellow Albertans, we do understand that lower fuel prices may have an effect on discretionary spending and so we are working on different packages that would basically provide a locals discount."

RobertLemieux, head of marketing for Fairmount Hotels in Western Canada's mountain region, predicts more tourists will visit theBanffSprings resort in the coming year.

"Definitely a better buy for the U.S. customer, he said.