A Foreign Affair
A Foreign Affair (AFA) is a privately held international dating and singles tour company founded in 1995, connecting English-speaking men with women from Ukraine, Russia, Colombia, Asia, and Latin America through online profiles, correspondence services, and organized group tours.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What A Foreign Affair does
A Foreign Affair (AFA) is a privately held international introduction and singles tour company founded in 1995 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The company connects English-speaking men with female clients seeking international marriage and serious relationships, primarily sourced from Ukraine, Russia, Colombia, the Philippines, China, and Thailand. Its core product is a database of 23,251 active women's profiles curated from over 600,000 applicants, combined with communication tools (Express Mail with translation, phone translation, video calls) and an in-person tour operation in 25+ international cities. The company operates owned offices in every tour city — a claimed industry distinction — providing on-ground staff, matchmakers, and interpreters.
The business model is a combination of freemium online subscriptions (free registration, Platinum tier at $95/mo), per-transaction communication fees (letter forwarding, phone translation, gift delivery), and high-margin tour packages (7-day/6-night all-inclusive group tours and individual Singles Clubs). Pricing for tours is unit-based with multi-year engagement profiles, while communication services are usage-based. Distribution is multi-channel: direct website sales, phone-based inside sales with regional specialists (Michele, Irene, Rona), free dating seminars in LA/Dallas/Houston, live weekly webcasts, and major media coverage including 60 Minutes, TIME, and the New York Times. The company is IMBRA-compliant and holds 8 iDate industry awards (2014-2020). No revenue, headcount, or funding data is disclosed; the company appears to be self-funded and independently owned with President John Adams at the helm.
A Foreign Affair firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A Foreign Affair
- Legal name
- AFA (A Foreign Affair)
- Website
- https://aforeignaffair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A Foreign Affair (AFA) is a privately held international dating and singles tour company founded in 1995, connecting English-speaking men with women from Ukraine, Russia, Colombia, Asia, and Latin America through online profiles, correspondence services, and organized group tours.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A Foreign Affair industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Matchmaking Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ethnic/VFR (Visiting Friends & Relatives) & Diaspora Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Long-Distance/International Gift Shipping Coordination (HSACANAK)
Keywords
Where A Foreign Affair is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
A Foreign Affair business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Platinum Membership Subscriptions: Paid membership tiers providing enhanced access to communication features, profile visibility, and premium services. Includes 1 month Platinum Membership ($95.00 value) with tour bookings.
- Singles Group Tours: 7-day/6-night group tours to international cities including Kiev, Odessa, Medellin, Cartagena, Cebu, Shenzhen, Bangkok with all-inclusive packages covering accommodations, socials, interpreters, and airport transfers.
- Individual Singles Clubs: Personalized individual dating experiences in multiple international cities for those unable to join group tours, providing flexible scheduling and tailored introductions.
- Letter Writing/Communication Fees: Per-letter fees for Express Mail correspondence with professional translation included. Customers pay per communication through the platform's forwarding system.
- Phone Translation Calls: Charges apply only when customer speaks directly with a foreign woman, with global translators facilitating the call at no charge unless conversation occurs.
- Gift Delivery Service: Send gifts (roses, candy, flowers) to women in multiple international locations with delivery within 24-48 hours and translated responses.
- Visa and Travel Services: Assistance with Russian and Chinese visa applications, including hotel booking and application form filing services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Basic Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platinum Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Latin Singles Tour - Medellin (7 days/6 nights) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | European Singles Tours |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
A Foreign Affair product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A Foreign Affair runs an international introduction and matchmaking service that connects Western men with women from Russia, Ukraine, Latin America, and Asia via an online correspondence platform, escorted singles tours, and in-person office introductions. The company sells paid memberships, per-minute phone and online translation, gift and flower delivery to women abroad, and visa/immigration assistance as bundled and à-la-carte offerings.
Product overview
A Foreign Affair operates as a comprehensive international introduction and singles tour service offering a portfolio of interconnected products. The core offering includes a database of over 23,000 verified foreign women's profiles searchable via an advanced search engine, combined with communication tools (Express Mail with translation, Phone Translation Service). The company differentiates through Singles Group Tours to major cities in Ukraine, Latin America, and Asia featuring structured social events, and Singles Clubs for individualized experiences. Supporting services include Gift Delivery, Visa assistance, Adventure Travel packages, and an International Dating Webcast providing educational content. Premium offerings include Executive/VIP Services and Matchmaker Services for dedicated personalized matchmaking. Since 1995, the company reports 581 tours and 1,351 socials conducted.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Foreign Bride Galleries
- Correspondence Club Memberships
- Foreign Affair Singles Tours
- Phone and Online Translation Services
- Gift and Flower Delivery
- Visa and Immigration Assistance
Quantifiable outcome
- 80%+ success rate on Latin tours
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use A Foreign Affair
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
A Foreign Affair technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
A Foreign Affair partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- MTVminorMTV featured A Foreign Affair in 2003 with video documentation of the service and international dating experiences.
- 60 MinutesminorMajor media coverage on CBS's 60 Minutes program showcasing international dating industry and AFA services.
- TIME MagazineminorFeatured coverage in TIME Magazine for international dating services and industry recognition.
- The Washington PostminorEditorial coverage in The Washington Post newspaper.
- The New York TimesminorEditorial coverage in The New York Times newspaper.
- Discovery ChannelminorDocumentary coverage on Discovery Channel showcasing international dating services.
- The Law Office of Laurie Y. WucoreRecommended law firm for K-1 Fiancee Visa processing and immigration services. Provides visa assistance for couples meeting through the service to legally bring foreign partners to the US.
- Film: Two Brothers and a BrideminorFull-length motion picture starring David Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson, and Emily Mortimer, based on A Foreign Affair and the international introduction industry.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A Foreign Affair competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AnastasiaDate: Long-established international dating and correspondence platform connecting Western men with women primarily from Eastern Europe; offers chat, letters, video, and translation services directly comparable to AFA's core online products.
- AsianDating: Cupid Media property focused on Asian women's profiles with translation-enabled messaging; overlaps with AFA's Philippines, Thailand, China, and Vietnam segments.
- International Cupid: Part of Cupid Media's network of regionally-targeted dating sites; offers profile browsing, translation, and messaging tools for men seeking foreign partners across multiple regions — directly comparable to AFA's multi-region online dating model.
- Latin American Cupid: Cupid Media property targeting men seeking Latin American women; comparable to AFA's Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, and Mexico tour offerings.
- Dream Singles: International dating and marriage-focused platform serving a similar demographic of Western men interested in Slavic and Latin women; offers profile browsing, correspondence, and translation services paralleling AFA's Express Mail and Phone Translation features.
- Cherry Blossoms: One of the oldest mail-order bride / international introduction services, with a similar profile database, letter-forwarding, and translation-enabled correspondence model targeting Western men seeking Asian and Eastern European partners.
- Elena's Models: International dating platform specializing in Slavic women with a curated profile database, advanced search, correspondence, and translation features that closely mirror AFA's online offerings.
- Victoria Hearts: International dating platform focused on Eastern European women with credit-based messaging and live chat products, comparable to AFA's per-letter and phone-translation monetization.
Broad incumbents
- eHarmony: Long-term-relationship-focused dating incumbent; targets a similar serious-relationship intent demographic as AFA but operates domestically without international introduction infrastructure.
- Match Group (Match.com): Largest general-purpose online dating incumbent in the US; competes for the same male consumer wallet but lacks AFA's international tour, translation, and visa-assistance specialization.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A Foreign Affair social profiles
Digital presenceA Foreign Affair compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
A Foreign Affair financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A Foreign Affair leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
A Foreign Affair funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A Foreign Affair M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A Foreign Affair
What does A Foreign Affair do?
A Foreign Affair runs an international introduction and matchmaking service that connects Western men with women from Russia, Ukraine, Latin America, and Asia via an online correspondence platform, escorted singles tours, and in-person office introductions. The company sells paid memberships, per-minute phone and online translation, gift and flower delivery to women abroad, and visa/immigration assistance as bundled and à-la-carte offerings.
Is A Foreign Affair a public or private company?
A Foreign Affair is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A Foreign Affair founded?
A Foreign Affair was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is A Foreign Affair based?
A Foreign Affair is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does A Foreign Affair make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Platinum Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are singles Group Tours, individual Singles Clubs, letter Writing/Communication Fees, phone Translation Calls, gift Delivery Service and visa and Travel Services.
Who are A Foreign Affair's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AnastasiaDate, AsianDating, International Cupid, Latin American Cupid, Dream Singles, Cherry Blossoms, Elena's Models and Victoria Hearts. Broad incumbents are eHarmony and Match Group (Match.com).
Does A Foreign Affair have an API?
No public API is recorded for A Foreign Affair.
What industry is A Foreign Affair in?
A Foreign Affair's product category is International Matchmaking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKABAO, Ethnic/VFR (Visiting Friends & Relatives) & Diaspora Retail Travel Agencies, with a secondary code of HSACANAK, Long-Distance/International Gift Shipping Coordination. Its NAICS code is 561520.