Xanterra wins Glacier Park concession contract
Glacier Park Inc. has been outbid for the primary concessions contract in Glacier National Park. The National Park Service announced Aug. 13 that it has chosen Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. to run the major lodges and operate the red bus fleet in the Park for the next 16 years.
The decision marks the end of an era in Glacier — GPI has been the Park concessionaire for 32 years.
"Our friends at Glacier Park, Inc. have successfully operated the concessions in the Park for 32 years and we appreciate the services they provided and the working relationship we've established over the years," acting Superintendent Kym Hall said.
The new Park concessions contract is anticipated to begin in January 2014 and includes lodging, food and beverage, retail, transportation and other visitor services within the Park. Xanterra is expected to work with Glacier Park, Inc. during a transition period this fall, the Park said in a press release.
The new contract includes a minimum franchise fee of 1% that will be returned to the government each year based on annual gross receipts. The contract also includes a repair and maintenance reserve of 2.35 percent and a Red Bus Rehabilitation Reserve equal to 2.5 percent, each respective of annual gross receipts. The annual gross receipts are expected to be approximately $18.5 million.
The contract requires replacement of much of the lodging furnishings throughout the Park, remodeling selected guest rooms in the Many Glacier Hotel and Lake McDonald Lodge, improved food and beverage services at Heidi's in Many Glacier and the Two Medicine Campstore, improved sustainable and healthy choice food options, the addition of two accessible tour buses to the Red Bus Fleet, and the provision of administrative and support facilities located outside of the park.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. provides a variety of visitor services in several national and state parks across the country, including Crater Lake, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Zion national parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.