The National Park Service has averted a shutdown of some of the Grand Canyon’s iconic hotels and mule rides by awarding a temporary contract for services at the canyon’s South Rim, reports The Associated Press.
The one-year contract goes to Xanterra Parks & Resorts Inc., which has been providing those services for decades. Its current contract ends Dec. 31 and reached its limit on extensions.
Three companies submitted proposals for the temporary contract that will be in place while the Park Service solicits bids for a 15-year contract. Efforts to have the long-term contract in place before Xanterra’s expires failed, with no one submitting bids meeting the Park Service’s terms in three previous rounds.
