DENVER, September 18, 2012 – Xanterra Parks & Resorts  has appointed travel industry veteran Betsy O’Rourke as vice president, sales and marketing.

O’Rourke will be responsible for creating and implementing sales and marketing strategies on a corporate-wide basis as well as in conjunction with each of the company’s businesses.

“We are very pleased that Betsy is bringing her solid experience in a variety of segments of the hospitality industry,” said Andrew N. Todd, president and CEO of Xanterra. “That diversity will serve us well as our company continues to grow and look for new opportunities.”

Xanterra is the largest operator of concessions in national and state parks in the country in addition to owning and operating the historic Grand Canyon Railway as well as Windstar Cruises – a three-ship fleet of luxury yachts that call at some 100 ports throughout Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas – and Kingsmill Resort, a luxury 425-room golf and spa resort near Williamsburg, Va.

Prior to joining Xanterra, O’Rourke was senior vice president of marketing for cruise line Royal Caribbean International. She was also senior vice president, marketing and communications for Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and senior vice president of marketing for the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), now known as the U.S. Travel Association.

At TIA O’Rourke created the “SeeAmerica” marketing program for the United States travel and tourism industry. She also was responsible for managing International Pow Wow, the U.S. travel industry's largest business-to-business international trade show.

Before joining TIA, O'Rourke was senior vice president, marketing services for Choice Hotels International and director of marketing and communications for the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

O'Rourke is the recipient of numerous marketing awards in addition to being named one of the "Top 25 Marketing Minds in the Travel Industry" by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International three times. She also received the Inspiration Award from the Association of Travel Marketing Executives for her travel industry recovery campaign after the Sept. 11 attacks.

O’Rourke earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from the University of California at Berkeley.

About Xanterra Parks & Resorts
Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of several affiliated Xanterra entities) operates lodges, restaurants, tours and activities at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest park concessioner. Xanterra Parks & Resorts has operations in the following locations: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Crater Lake, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley National Park, Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va. and five Ohio State Park Lodges as well as the Geneva Marina at Ohio’s Geneva State Park. Xanterra Parks & Resorts also operates Windstar Cruises as well as Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts has been committed to the preservation and protection of the environment for many years. Through its environmental program, “Ecologix,” Xanterra Parks & Resorts has been recognized repeatedly for environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association of America, American Hotel and Lodging Association, National Parks Conservation Association, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

For more information about Xanterra Parks & Resorts, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.