The Ties Program

Name

The Ties Program

Legal name

The Ties Program

Website

https://adoptivefamilytravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alumni, Reunion & Affinity Group Educational Travel (THAKAGAJ), Cultural/Heritage Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAF)

Keywords

• Heritage tour services
• Cultural reconnection travel
• International adoptee tours
• Birth country journeys
• Adoption heritage programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Heritage Tour Programs: The company generates revenue through selling heritage travel tour packages to international adoptees and their families. Tours include destinations such as China, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Korea. Both Signature and Lite options are available for various tour destinations. The company has been operating since 1994.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ties Program organizes guided, multi-day heritage tours for international adoptees and their families to their countries of birth, including Paraguay, China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Korea. Each tour is chaperoned and facilitated by adoptee staff and combines cultural, historical, and personal reconnection experiences. The company supplements its tours with ongoing community programs (monthly chats, partners seminars), online resource hubs, a financial assistance program, and an editorial blog.

Product overview

The Ties Program is a heritage travel service for international adoptees and their families, founded in 1994 and operated as a female-founded, adoptee-owned organization. The core offering consists of country-specific heritage tours to birth countries including China, Korea, Ethiopia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala, and Paraguay, with separate adult-only (21+) tours and Lite options for select destinations. Tours are structured around three pillars: adoptee-centered experiences with space for identity exploration, family support services so loved ones have dedicated resources, and professionally trained facilitators. Beyond tours, the program provides virtual community support through Ties Together Monthly Chats, educational resources for adoptees and families, financial assistance programs, and a Partners of Adoptees Seminar. The company has guided over 9,000 alumni across 30+ years of operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paraguayan Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to Paraguay for international adoptees from Paraguay and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff and centered on cultural reconnection and birth-country exploration.
• China Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to China for Chinese international adoptees and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff with a cultural and reconnection focus.
• Ethiopian Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to Ethiopia for Ethiopian international adoptees and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff and focused on cultural and personal reconnection.
• Language at the Lake Guatemala Heritage and Spanish-language immersion program held at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, for Guatemalan international adoptees and their families, combining language study with cultural reconnection.
• India Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to India for Indian international adoptees and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff and centered on cultural reconnection.
• Cambodian Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to Cambodia for Cambodian international adoptees and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff and centered on cultural reconnection.
• Vietnam Ties Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to Vietnam for Vietnamese international adoptees and their families, chaperoned by adoptee staff and centered on cultural reconnection.
• Korean Ties 21+ Heritage Tours Guided, multi-day heritage tour to Korea for Korean international adoptees aged 21 and older and their partners, chaperoned by adoptee staff with a reconnection focus tailored to adult adoptees and accompanying loved ones.
• Partners of Adoptees Seminar

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gift of IdentityminorOthersA partner organization supporting The Ties Program. Gift of Identity is an organization focused on adoption-related support and resources, listed as a partner on the company website.
• Ties FoundationcoreOthersThe Ties Foundation is a core partner organization of The Ties Program, sharing the same mission of supporting international adoptees through heritage travel and connection programs.
• World TiesminorOthersA partner organization listed on The Ties Program website, focused on global adoption support and adoptee resources.
• USKRG (U.S. Korean adoptee organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Annual Truth Day International Conference and Korea Tour. This collaboration brings together adoptees and the wider community for meaningful dialogue, learning, and connection in Korea, offering space to engage more deeply with identity, history, and lived experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• G.O.A.'L (Global Overseas Adoptees' Link): Korean adoptee-led organization providing heritage programs, cultural events, and Korea-focused trips for international adoptees. Overlaps directly on Korean Ties 21+ tours and Truth Day Conference partnership model.
• Journeys Within Our Community: Nonprofit organizing heritage tours for international adoptees to birth countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Guatemala. Closest direct analog in mission, customer base (adoptees), and service model.
• Holt International Children's Services: Major adoption agency running heritage tours and adoption-related travel programs for adoptees placed through its services. Competes for the same heritage traveler cohort across multiple origin countries including Korea and Vietnam.

Broad incumbents

• EF Educational Tours: Large educational tour operator serving schools and groups. Comparable in tour operation scale and educational angle but focuses on student/youth travelers rather than adoptees.
• Road Scholar: Educational travel organization (formerly Elderhostel) providing learning-focused trips for adults. Comparable educational tour format but lacks the adoptee-specific identity journey angle.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Luxury tour operator running cultural and heritage itineraries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Overlaps on destination coverage (China, Vietnam, India) but at premium pricing for general luxury travelers.
• Context Travel: Cultural and heritage-focused tour operator offering expert-led small-group tours across many global destinations. Competes for travelers seeking culturally immersive trips but lacks adoption-specific expertise.
• Smithsonian Journeys: Smithsonian Institution's cultural and educational tour program offering expert-led trips worldwide. Comparable in cultural heritage positioning and tour depth but serves general consumers rather than affinity groups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ties-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Ties Program