Nawas International Travel

What Nawas International Travel does

Nawas International Travel Service, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned tour operator founded in 1949 and headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, with additional offices in Menlo Park, California and Claremont, California. The company specializes in packaged group travel for two primary segments: Catholic pilgrims and Protestant travelers, with itineraries concentrated on the Holy Land, Rome, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Marian shrines (Fatima, Lourdes), Ireland, and cruise itineraries. The company's go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B2C: it recruits and supports pastors, church leaders, and tour organizers who assemble and lead groups (minimum 15 passengers), then books them onto all-inclusive packages encompassing roundtrip air, hotels, motorcoach transfers, sightseeing, and entrance fees.

The business model is a one-time-package sale per traveler with deposit mechanics ($600 for Europe, $800 for Israel/Jordan/Greece-Turkey and cruises) and final payment deadlines ranging 100-140 days pre-departure depending on destination; a 4% discount is offered for cash/check payments. The company does not operate proprietary technology platforms, APIs, or mobile applications, and manages logistics entirely through established supplier relationships. Distribution is direct-only through its three U.S. offices; no third-party resellers are used.

Strategically, Nawas leverages two anchor assets: a 77-year operating history and an exclusive relationship with the Oberammergau Passion Play Committee that delivers the largest allocation of guaranteed First Class tickets in North America, making it the dominant U.S. operator for this decennial event (16,000+ passengers in 2010). Recent product cadence reflects event-anchored demand: 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimages and a 2026 program celebrating the 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi. Additional revenue lines include exotic tours (Egypt, India, Kenya) and a partnership with Amadeus River Cruises for European river cruises. The firm is privately held by the Khoury/Nawas family with no institutional capital, no disclosed financials, and no public regulatory actions beyond routine California Seller of Travel registration (CST #1005405-40).

Name

Nawas International Travel

Legal name

Nawas International Travel Service, Inc.

Website

https://nawas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nawas International Travel is a privately held, family-owned tour operator founded in 1949, specializing in all-inclusive group pilgrimages and Christian heritage tours for Catholic and Protestant travelers from three U.S. offices, leveraging exclusive Oberammergau Passion Play ticket access and event-anchored programs (2025 Jubilee, 2026 St. Francis 800 Years) to serve church-organized groups of 15+ passengers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Group Tour Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Deep Sea Passenger Transportation (483112)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pilgrimage Packages (Air-Inclusive) Tour Operators (THAKAHAK), Religious Festival & Event Travel (e.g., Kumbh Mela, World Youth Day) Agencies (THAKAHAN), Pilgrimage Cruise & Maritime Pilgrimage Operators (THAKAHAL)

Keywords

• Christian pilgrimage tours
• Religious group travel
• Catholic tour programs
• Protestant heritage tours
• Guided faith tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Darien

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Tour Packages: Nawas generates revenue through all-inclusive group tour packages that include roundtrip air transportation, centrally located quality hotels, all transfers, deluxe motor coaches, and comprehensive sightseeing. Packages are priced as full-program offerings with deposits ranging from $600-$800 depending on destination, with final payment due 100-125 days prior to departure. The company accepts cash/check payments with a built-in 4% discount and Visa/Mastercard for final payments only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nawas International Travel is a Christian tour operator that designs, sells, and operates all-inclusive group travel packages for Catholic pilgrims and Protestant travelers to sacred and biblically significant destinations worldwide. Each program bundles roundtrip air transportation, centrally located hotels, motorcoach transfers, comprehensive sightseeing, professional tour directors, English-speaking guides, and faith-based programming such as scheduled daily Mass. The company sells directly through its three U.S. offices and website, with pastors and church leaders recruiting groups of 15 or more passengers for departures to the Holy Land, Rome, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Egypt/Nile cruises, Fatima, Lourdes, and other faith-related destinations.

Product overview

Nawas International Travel operates as a traditional tour operator offering packaged group travel programs for Christian pilgrims and tourists. The company provides two primary product lines: Catholic Pilgrimages (including Holy Land, Rome, Italy, Fatima, Lourdes, Marian Shrines, Steps of St. Paul, Ireland, Egypt/Nile cruises, and specialty Jubilee programs) and Protestant Tours (including Holy Land, Steps of St. Paul, Europe, Lands of Luther, Presbyterian Heritage, Cultural Heritage, and Exotic Adventures). The portfolio also includes specialty programs such as the 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi 2026 pilgrimage, Passion Play of Oberammergau tours with guaranteed tickets, ocean and river cruises through Amadeus River Cruises, and exotic multi-destination tours to Egypt, India, and Kenya. All programs include roundtrip airfare, accommodations, motorcoach transportation, sightseeing, and professional tour directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Pilgrimages Group travel programs for Catholic pilgrims to destinations including the Holy Land, Rome, Italy, Fatima, Lourdes, Ireland, Greece, and Egypt, including special programs for Jubilee years and the 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi commemoration in 2026. Designed for parishes, dioceses, and Catholic travelers seeking faith-based itineraries with daily Mass and spiritual programming.
• Protestant Tours Christian travel programs including Holy Land tours, Steps of St. Paul itineraries, Europe tours, Lands of Luther, Presbyterian Heritage tours, and Cultural Heritage tours. Designed for Protestant congregations, pastors, and faith-based travelers seeking biblically significant itineraries.
• 800 Years of St. Francis of Assisi Pilgrimage Special 2026 pilgrimage program commemorating the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi's death, visiting Assisi and St. Francis Basilica. All NAWAS 2026 Italy Pilgrimages include Assisi and St. Francis Basilica.
• 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope Pilgrimages Specialized programs for the Catholic Jubilee 2025 Year of Hope, featuring visits to Rome's four major basilicas, participation in Papal Audiences, and tours of Jubilee sites.
• Passion Play of Oberammergau Tours Specialized tour packages to the Passion Play of Oberammergau in Germany, including guaranteed First Class Category 1 tickets, with both Catholic pilgrimages and Protestant program options covering Alpine Europe, Eastern Europe, Italy, and the Holy Land.
• Exotic Adventures Multi-destination tours including 11-day Egypt & Nile Cruise, 14-day Wonders of India tour, and 14-day Kenya Safari packages, designed for travelers seeking longer, multi-country faith-inspired journeys.
• Ocean Cruises & Cruise Tours Luxury ocean cruise packages including Mediterranean cruises, Greek Isles cruises, Northern Europe and Norwegian fjords cruises, and Australia/New Zealand cruise tours.
• Amadeus River Cruises Partnership with Amadeus River Cruises for European river cruise experiences, with dedicated booking terms and water level change policies. Nawas serves as the tour operator booking passengers onto these cruises, with sailings on European rivers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77 years of continuous operation in Christian travel market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amadeus River Cruises, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNawas works in partnership with Amadeus River Cruises, LLC for river cruise offerings. NAWAS makes no guarantee of cabin availability or shore excursion availability on any sailing offered in partnership with Amadeus River Cruises, LLC. The partnership includes Amadeus River Cruises' vessels operating on European rivers, with NAWAS serving as the tour operator booking passengers onto these cruises. The ship operator is Danubia Kreuzfahrten GmbH based in Vienna, Austria.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 206 Tours: 206 Tours is a Catholic pilgrimage tour operator offering Holy Land, Rome, Fatima, Lourdes, and Marian shrine itineraries to U.S. Catholic groups. Closely comparable to Nawas in target customer, product mix, and group-led GTM motion.
• Inspiration Cruises & Tours: Inspiration Cruises & Tours organizes Christian-themed cruises and land tours for pastors, churches, and faith-based groups. Highly comparable to Nawas in faith-based group travel, denomination-agnostic approach, and emphasis on guided spiritual experiences.
• Worldwide Christian Travel: Worldwide Christian Travel designs Holy Land and European itineraries for Protestant and evangelical church groups. Directly comparable to Nawas's Protestant programs in customer base, destination mix, and group-led sales motion.
• Unitours: Unitours is a Christian tour operator offering Holy Land, European, and Reformation-era itineraries to U.S. Protestant congregations. Comparable to Nawas's Protestant Tours line in destinations, denomination focus, and church-group distribution.
• Pilgrim Tours: Pilgrim Tours specializes in Catholic and Protestant pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Rome, Greece, and Marian shrines. Closely comparable to Nawas in faith-based group travel, denomination coverage, and curated pilgrimage itineraries.
• Select International Tours: Select International Tours is a Catholic pilgrimage operator offering Holy Land, European, and Marian shrine programs to U.S. parishes and dioceses. Directly comparable to Nawas in target audience, product set, and parish-led distribution.
• Catholic Cruises and Tours: Catholic Cruises and Tours offers faith-based cruises and pilgrimage land tours targeting Catholic travelers and parishes. Comparable to Nawas in Catholic focus, cruise/land package mix, and relationship-driven church group sales.

Broad incumbents

• Collette: Collette is a large, established U.S. tour operator offering guided group travel across Europe, the Holy Land, and beyond. Broader portfolio than Nawas with no specialization in faith-based travel, but overlaps in Holy Land and European group itineraries.
• Globus / Cosmos Tours: Globus and Cosmos offer packaged escorted tours across Europe, the Holy Land, and religious-heritage itineraries. Larger and more diversified than Nawas, with comparable group-tour delivery model but no Christian-group specialization.

Others

• Viking Cruises: Viking Cruises operates river and ocean cruises across European itineraries frequently paired with Nawas faith-based extensions. Comparable as a supplier-partner adjacent to Nawas's cruise product line, particularly on European rivers and Mediterranean routes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nawas International Travel