Program directory · Parks Canada

Visitor Experience and Services (National, Marine, and Urban Parks)

Department

Parks Canada

Program code

BGW14 (PCA)

Core responsibility

Protecting and Presenting Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage

In Departmental Plans

2026-27 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Visitor Experience and Services (NP, NMCA and NUP) program helps people connect with nature, spend time with others, and experience places that shape Canada’s identity. National parks, marine conservation areas and urban parks offer distinct visitor experiences - from terrestrial to marine exploration to urban green spaces - each shaped by their environments and communities.

Visitor infrastructure, from trails and docks to visitor centres and campgrounds, is designed to be safe, accessible, and welcoming. The scale of infrastructure varies; NPs typically offering more extensive services, while NMCAs and NUPs may have fewer facilities due to their ecological, geographic or administrative contexts. NUPs will vary widely relying more on partner investments than Parks Canada led programming and infrastructure.

Dependent on the site and its management plan, staff support seasonal operations, maintain facilities, manage waste, provide information, and ensure visitor safety through education, prevention, and enforcement. Visitor planning aligns with sustainability, public demand and affordability. Online tools, like reservation systems and real-time updates, support trip planning for diverse users.

Experiences are increasingly co-developed or delivered by Indigenous partners, with growing inclusion of their languages, stories, and voices. This supports shared stewardship, deeper understanding of place, and cultural continuity on the land, waters, and ice.

Visitor spending in nearby communities (e.g., on lodging, meals, souvenirs) supports local economies and quality jobs in tourism, trades, and recreation. Connections with nature support well-being, conservation, pride, and belonging. This program delivers lasting value by facilitating access and enriching experiences for current and future generations.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in the Departmental Plans in 2026-27. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

Employees (FTEs)

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.