The Need
Amfac Parks & Resorts wanted to change its name to distance itself from the bankruptcy of Amfac Hawaii. The new name needed to span its incredible portfolio of national park lodges and resorts like those in Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and the Everglades. It was looking for something new, more contemporary and innovative—a name that set it apart from other parks and resorts and was rich in story. The name also had to fit Amfac’s reputation of environmental friendliness and overall excellence.
The Name
Xanterra, pronounced “Zanterra,” was the name that fit the bill. The name was derived from “Xanadu,” (from the Kubla Khan poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge about an idyllic, beautiful place) and “terra,” Latin for “the earth.” Andrew Todd, President of Xanterra, had this to say about the name: “As the stewards of some of this country’s national park treasures and operators of resorts throughout the U.S., we felt we needed a name that was more reflective of the spectacular destinations in which we operate.” Xanterra creates an expectation of something truly extraordinary, and it just takes one trip to the Grand Canyon to see how well the name fits.
The Result
Today, the Xanterra Travel Collection is an upscale biking, bike and barge, walking, railway, cruising, sailing, touring, and hotel company with itineraries on six continents.