Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours Establishes IKG Air, LLC

The First Navajo-Owned Aviation Company Providing Air Services and Tours

PAGE, Ariz. (February 7, 2023) – Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours (Adventurous) is proud to announce its establishment of IKG Air, LLC (IKG Air). This will be the first 100% Navajo owned aviation company providing air services and tours throughout the region with its helicopter and fixed wing division.

The goal of the Navajo-owned air company is to offer air service and tours to Sedona and the Grand Canyon area, expanding the tour offerings to highly visited Arizona destinations. Air operations and tours are scheduled to begin in the second quarter 2023.

“The creation of our new tour routes and aircraft division is an important step for our company as we expand into a new era,” said IKG Air Chief Operations Officer Lionel Bigthumb.“As a tribal-owned business, we are ready to step onto the global stage to showcase ourselves as a unique, and culturally responsible tour operator, offering air services and tour packages to the most gorgeous and iconic destinations in the world.”

Located in LeChee, Arizona, Antelope serves as an important tourism gateway to the Navajo Nation, whose land base spans over 27,000 miles, extending into Utah and New Mexico. With its key proximity to tribal landmarks and nearby trail systems, Adventuroushas attracted nature lovers and tourists alike, who have booked photographic expeditions into the canyon’s sandstone wash basin since 2009.

Last winter, Adventurousescorted photographers from the National Football League into Rattlesnake Canyon for a photo shoot, capturing breathtaking images of the landscape, which is on décor, billboards etc. around Arizona to millions during the Big Game and will be used to promote tourism in the region. Additionally, their new ground shuttle and open-air vehicle tour of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park opened December 2022.

Bolstered by its new tour offerings and latest campaign, the company hopes to further tap into the $14 billion Native tourism industry, a figure cited by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) in its 2021 economic impact report. Adventurous will be heading to the GoWest Summit in Anchorage, Alaska at the end of the month.

Moving forward, Antelopewants visitors from around the world to learn about the 22 federally recognized tribal nations, whose ancestral homelands are in the state, and bring tourism dollars to those tribal communities.

“We have an opportunity to tell our authentic stories respectfully, as we take on an incredible responsibility to serve as cultural caretakers and ambassadors of our tribal communities,” said Adventurous Marketing Director Jeremy Arviso. “As a Navajo-owned tour operator, we bring our cultural knowledge to visitors who may not know our story, and can learn more about us, which in turn can lead to greater understanding of our people.”

Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours

· What: 1 hour to 3-hour tours with options for Upper Antelope Canyon, Owl Canyon and/or Rattlesnake Canyon.

· When: Year-round, but dependent on weather.

· Price: Starts at $102 per person; Can vary depending on tour package.

· Website: adventurousantelopecanyon.com

Adventurous Monument Valley Tours and Shuttle Service

· What: 1.5 hour to 2.5-hour long shuttle tours of Monument Valley Tribal Park.

· Where: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

· When: Year-round, but dependent on weather.

· Price: Starts at $85 per person; Can vary depending on tour package.

· Website: www.adventurousmv.com

To learn more visit adventurousantelopecanyon.com

Photo attached: Rattlesnake Canyon, photo credit Danny Upshaw

Photo attached: Lionel Bigthumb in a helicopter, photo credit Chuck Howe

About Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours

Established in 2009, Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours is Navajo owned and operated guided tour company based in LeChee, Ariz. The company offers guided tours through the Monument Valley, Upper Antelope Canyon, Owl Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon areas located on the Navajo Nation and southeast of Page, Ariz. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram,

Resources:

American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association