The acquisition marks a substantial advance in the group’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
The main pool at The Siam, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts in Bangkok. (Photo: The Siam)
In a move described as the latest step in CEO Lindsey Ueberroth’s strategic vision to enhance the company’s portfolio in making travel a positive force for people and the planet, Preferred Hotel Group, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Beyond Green Travel, a leading sustainable tourism consultancy founded by ecotourism pioneer Costas Christ.
The family-owned Preferred Hotel Group, Inc. manages and operates global travel and hospitality brands including Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, and PHG Consulting, representing more than 1,100 hotels, resorts, and residences across 85 countries.
“As we look ahead to the future of travel, particularly during this period of economic recovery, we believe more than ever that the time is now to take sustainable tourism to the next level,” Ueberroth said in a statement. “Working alongside Costas and his team, we are excited to create a sustainable tourism platform that will enable our brand promise of ‘Believe in Travel’ to help our destination and hospitality clients infuse genuine, holistic, and inspiring sustainability best practices into their daily operations and overall ethos.”
Beyond Green Travel has been at the forefront of the global sustainable tourism movement for more than two decades, developing content and strategies for such top travel and hospitality companies as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, The Travel Corporation, and Wilderness Safaris. Christ—who will be staying on as the company’s president—and his team have also advised destinations and governments on how to successfully implement sustainable tourism, including the establishment of a national ecotourism plan for Bhutan.
The acquisition expands the suite of destination stewardship services offered by Beyond Green Travel through a partnership with PHG Consulting, Preferred’s global travel and tourism marketing and consulting agency. Additionally, member properties of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotels of America, and Historic Hotels Worldwide brands can directly engage Beyond Green Travel to advance their sustainability initiatives on a variety of levels, ranging from establishing community projects and partnerships to conducting property sustainability audits, providing staff training, and creating annual hotel sustainability reports to monitor progress.
Beyond Green Travel will also be involved in shaping the overall approach to GIFTTS, Preferred’s corporate social responsibility program.
