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WHY NATIONAL PARKS ARE A GREAT IDEA NOW
For Immediate Release
DENVER, February 11, 2009 -- National parks have been called the best idea we ever had. They showcase America's geology, history and architecture, and are a great vacation value. And according to a TripAdvisor survey, nearly three of every four Americans will visit one this year.
"National parks tell America's story, and each park is a different chapter," said Andrew N. Todd, president and CEO of national park concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts. "Yellowstone, for example, tells the multi-dimensional story of Western discovery, wildlife management and human perseverance. And the Grand Canyon is an elaborately illustrated story of the earth's evolution."
According to the TripAdvisor survey, 73 percent of domestic travelers will visit a park this year, up from 62 percent in 2008. The TripAdvisor survey revealed other things about Americans' travel mindset this year: we also want active vacations in environmentally friendly locations.
And according to anecdotal information gleaned from Xanterra's reservations agents, above all, American travelers want value for their vacation dollars.
Vacation value
In their early years, most of our great Western national parks were available only to those who could afford the time and the train ticket to access them. No longer just for the affluent, today's traveler can drive his own vehicle and enjoy the parks in a variety of accommodations ranging from a backcountry campsite to a luxury suite.
"Particularly during a climate of economic uncertainty, travelers are value-driven when they take their vacations," said Todd. "It doesn't matter if travelers are staying in a suite or a rustic cabin. They want to feel they are spending their money wisely."
National park vacations represent an excellent value for vacationers, said Todd. To understand why, it helps to know how concessioners operate. In many cases, the hotels, restaurants and other buildings are owned by the federal government, and concessioners provide the management for those facilities as well as operate many of the activities found in the parks. Concessioners pay a percentage of revenues to the government in return for the contract to operate the facilities.
Most hotels that families will book this summer use a system of pricing called "yield management." When demand goes up, so do the rates. When hotel rooms look like they're going to be empty, rates go down. As technology has improved to the point of being able to predict traffic patterns, hotel companies have become increasingly sophisticated about pricing rooms according to predicted demand - without pricing themselves out of the market.
Lodges in national parks are an exception to this pricing practice. Because of a little-known rule imposed on national park concessioners - operators of lodges and other concessions within the parks - pricing on everything from rooms to hot dogs in the restaurants is approved by the National Park Service. The rule is called a "model of comparability." Everything within a national park must be offered at a comparable price to rooms outside a national park.
This is great news for budget-focused travelers, particularly this year. While franchise motels in gateway communities outside national parks are free to increase prices to accommodate demands, room rates at national park lodges have long since been set - and published. And those prices will not change.
The National Park Service has made park entry affordable for everyone. A carload of visitors can purchase a seven-day entrance permit for just $25 in Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and other parks. The fees collected by the National Park Service go back into the park for improvements such as the construction of a new visitor center, maintenance projects and a variety of other programs. Travelers who plan to visit more than one park should consider purchasing an annual park pass or an "America the Beautiful" interagency pass.
Active travel
The healing power of Mother Nature is easily found in any national park. It can be found in a leisurely stroll along the rim of Bryce Canyon overlooking the mysterious hoo doos - rock spires protruding from the ground - or by staring into the bottom of the Death Valley's immense Ubehebe Crater while listening to youthful visitors giggle about the crater's silly name. National parks provide visitors with a fresh perspective along with the fresh air.
Hiking is one of the most popular activities in many national parks. Death Valley's 3.3 million acres are completely open to hikers, although there are few designated trails. One, the Golden Canyon trail, takes hikers through a series of cliff-lined switchbacks, where the color of the rock changes as the sun travels through the sky throughout the day. The hike to Fairy Falls in Yellowstone gives visitors a chance to see hot springs, a water fall, wildlife and wildflowers.
In addition to hiking, national parks offer a variety of activities designed to show off the park. In Yellowstone, for example, visitors can take a tour of the park with an interpretive guide driving a historic Yellow Bus. The buses were reintroduced to the park two years ago after a 50-year absence. In the Grand Canyon, travelers can take a long-eared taxi - a mule - to Plateau Point while listening to a wrangler talk about the park's geology and human history. Crater Lake National Park offers tours of Crater Lake, the deepest and clearest lake in the country. These tours are conducted aboard boats specially designed to minimize impact on the lake.
Green Travel
More than one-third of U.S. travelers will make a point of visiting an environmentally friendly hotel this year. National parks offer an abundance of choices in this area, and in many cases, the lodges and other operations were green long before it was more than a color.
For example, Xanterra constructed a one megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic system in Death Valley National Park to take advantage of the power of the intense sun. The system is the largest in the tourism industry and powers more than one-third of the total annual electricity needs of the Death Valley operations. Renewable wind energy is used to power a portion of electricity demands in seven of Xanterra's locations. And Xanterra was the eighth company in the world - and the first hospitality company - to commit to an absolute reduction target in greenhouse gas emissions through a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions. Xanterra is well on the way to meeting that goal.
"Xanterra employees are fortunate to live and work in some of this country's most beautiful places, and we believe it is our responsibility to help preserve and protect those places for future generations," said Todd. "We take this mission seriously, and our commitment is reflected in the many innovative environmental initiatives that have been implemented in the parks, many times at the behest of the employees who work there."
More information about Xanterra's environmental initiatives can be found here: http://wwwxanterra.com/Environmental-Action-364.html.
For more information about Xanterra Parks & Resorts and online reservations visit www.xanterra.com. For lodge reservations and more information about Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake or Death Valley, you may also call (1) 303-297-2757 or toll-free at (1) 888-297-2757. For Yellowstone reservations, call (1) 307-344-7311 or toll-free at (1) 866-439-7375.
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Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country's largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra also operates the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts' environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts
6312 S. Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 600 North
Greenwood Village, Co 80111
Media contact:
Mona Mesereau
(1) 720-842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com
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