Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) recently announced the sale of CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation. Shareholders with email addresses on file at CIRI received an advisory message regarding the sale. The buyer, Viad Corp., is an international company that has been providing travel and tourism services in natural destinations for more than 50 years.
CIRI’s first tourism-related investment came in 1996 with the acquisition of Kenai Fjords Tours, Alaska’s #1 wildlife and glacier cruise located in Seward, Alaska. After that, the company added the Seward Windsong Lodge, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, the Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge and Alaska Heritage Tours, a tour-packaging company.
“The terrific assets, excellent service and top quality team that are the hallmarks of CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation have always been a source of great pride for CIRI,” said Sophie Minich, president and CEO of CIRI. “We believe that the company’s tradition of excellence and quality will continue under Viad’s ownership.”
CIRI President and CEO Sophie Minich discusses the CATC sale in more detail in this month’s President’s Message.