Tag Archives: Xanterra Parks & Resorts

A busy year for Glacier Park

Glacier Park leaders, vendors and supporters gave a presentation on this year’s efforts at a gathering sponsored by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce . . .

Glacier National Park is heading into a year of significant changes that should be for the better from the perspective of visitors, three park leaders said Thursday at a gathering sponsored by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce.

Glacier Superintendent Jeff Mow led off the group, describing how the biggest changes will involve integrating a new general park concessions contractor and working with a newly formed philanthropical partner, the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

“I’m very big on being collaborative,” Mow said. “There’s a lot that the National Park Service can’t do in a national park. It really takes a team.”

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Xanterra selected as new Glacier Park concessioner

The National Park Service has selected Xanterra Parks & Resorts as the new Glacier Park concessioner for the next 16 years, replacing Glacier Park, Inc., which as been operating the park concessions since 1981.

And, yes, this is the same Xanterra with connections to Anschutz Exploration Corp., the outfit that was until recently performing exploratory drilling on the Blackfeet Reservation along the eastern boundary of Glacier Park. Both Anschutz Exploration and Xanterra Parks and Resorts are owned by Philip Frederick Anschutz, one of the wealthiest billionaires in the nation. Xanterra is likely to prove a controversial choice.

Here is the lead-in for the official press release . . .

The National Park Service has selected Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. (Xanterra) to provide a variety of visitor services in Glacier National Park for the next 16 years.

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. This fall Xanterra is expected to work with Glacier Park, Inc. during a transition period. Glacier Park, Inc. has held the current park concessions contract since 1981.

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