A nice day starts with a hike up Sulphur Mountain--an intermediate 5 km hike up switchbacks, which ends up at a visitors center. Warming up with hot chocolate before descending on the gondola, which used to be free in the off season, could be followed by a dip in the hot springs at the base of the climb. It wouldn't be nearly as nice without the convenience of the heated visitors center and the gondola ride down. It's hard to imagine doing without these things. Would I climb Sulphur mountain if it was just a bare mountain top? Probably not as much.
But the gondola and visitors center have an impact. Trees need to be trimmed, power lines maintained, boardwalks de-iced, and supplies brought up while waste brought down. This is what Banff has become.