Xanterra

Amfac Parks & Resorts approached NameStormers with a critical challenge: creating a new identity to distance itself from Amfac Hawaii’s bankruptcy. The name needed to capture their portfolio of national park lodges and resorts, spanning iconic locations from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore to the Everglades. They sought a contemporary name that would tell a rich story while reflecting their commitment to environmental stewardship.

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, explained, “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 extraordinary experiences that matches the grandeur of locations like the Grand Canyon.

Today, the Xanterra Travel Collection is an upscale biking, walking, railway, cruising, sailing, touring, and hotel company with itineraries on six continents.