Jena Gardner, president and CEO of JG Black Book of Travel, has
acquired Heritage Tours Private Travel. Both are based in New York.
Founded in 1995 by Joel Zack, Heritage Tours Private Travel
creates custom itineraries in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey and sub-Saharan
Africa. Though Gardner will assume the roles of chairwoman and CEO of Heritage,
the company will remain autonomous of JG Black Book. Zack will guide the vision
and strategy for Heritage as “chief visionary dude.”
In 2002, Gardner founded consulting firm JG Black Book,
which offers public relations, marketing, sales and branding services to
clients such as the Belize Tourism Board, Onefinestay and Nomadic Expeditions.
With the acquisition, Gardner aims to build Heritage’s
exposure in the U.S. and abroad.
“I’ve long admired the bespoke experiences Joel’s teams — in
New York, overseas teams, guides and specialists — offer their clients and I am
excited to work alongside him to increase marketing power and grow business for
Heritage Tours Private Travel in the regions in which we operate,” said Gardner.