Banff, Canmore hotels cash in as demand spikes

High demand means high prices at some hotels in the Rocky Mountains this summer as towns like Banff and Canmore are having their best tourism season in years.

Hundreds of tourists spent Sunday afternoon exploring downtown Banff but some can't afford to spend the night.

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Tom Anderson from Ontario says he can't afford the summer season prices.

"We went on the Internet and checked the prices and no, we can't afford to stay here. We'll just come in and out. And Golden is considerably cheaper even though it's a bit of a drive," Anderson said.

Danielle Bourque from Calgary also says there are other deals to be had about 90 minutes to the west.

"I actually have three friends that are here to visit and we looked at staying here and we decided to keep going to go to Golden instead because hotels are about half the price," she said.

Travel websites show that most hotels in Banff and Canmore are currentlyin the $300 range per night right now.

Darren Reeder, executive director of the Banff and Lake Louise Hospitality Association, says demand is up and prices reflect that.

"All the stars are lined up," Reeder said.

"We've seen strong response from regional markets, from U.S. markets and markets abroad. And of course with China having opened up we're seeing all the right response to the marketing messages."

The low Canadian dollar is also a contributing factor as more Americans head north to cash in and more Canadians stay closer to home.

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