ETS
ETS (Educational Travel Services) is a Florida-based, faith-based tour operator founded in 1974 that sells all-inclusive Holy Land tours, Bible-focused cruises, and Catholic pilgrimages to Christian travelers, church groups, and travel advisors worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersNot specified, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ETS does
ETS (Educational Travel Services), legally Educational Opportunities Tours, Inc., is a Florida-incorporated, privately held tour operator founded in 1974 that specializes exclusively in faith-based travel for Christian individuals, church groups, and Catholic pilgrims. The company builds, markets, and operates an all-inclusive portfolio spanning escorted land tours (Holy Land Tours, Journeys of Paul, Catholic Pilgrimages, Church Heritage Tours, Domestic Tours, Missions Experiences, and Cultural & History Tours) and cruise itineraries (Bible Land Cruises, River Cruises on AmaWaterways and the Ganges, Retreat Cruises, and luxury sailings on Azamara and Oceania). Destinations span more than 20 countries across North America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, with itineraries structured around biblical and Christian heritage sites.
The commercial platform is a website-based booking system (etstours.com) integrated with Vimeo video content, a digital Journeys of Faith catalog, and a dedicated travel-advisor portal ("Advisor's Corner") through which registered agents access inventory, marketing collateral, and group-booking tooling. ETS holds preferred-partner status — including multiple years of Royal Caribbean and AmaWaterways Top Producer designations, Celebrity Partner of the Year, and El Al's Millionaires Club — generating revenue through a mix of direct tour-package sales to end customers (collected via travel agents) and cruise-line commissions and override incentives on booked passenger volume. Tours are priced per person from $775 (5-night women's retreat cruise) to $6,198 (10-day Adventures in Thailand), with all-inclusive packages covering airfare, accommodations, ground transportation, and guided sightseeing.
The business is asset-light: the reported 13-employee core team in Mulberry, Florida is led by President and CEO James Ridgway and CFO Tim Brown, with operational functions (tour directors, ground logistics, air bookings) executed through partner networks spanning Royal Caribbean, AmaWaterways, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Azamara, Oceania, El Al, American Airlines, US Airways, Lufthansa, and Sabre Travel Network. All bookings are intermediated through independent travel advisors rather than transacted directly, making the travel-agent channel — supported by brand-new ETS Travel Podcast content — both the principal acquisition mechanism and the structural distribution moat.
ETS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ETS
- Legal name
- Educational Opportunities Tours, Inc.
- Website
- https://etstours.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ETS (Educational Travel Services) is a Florida-based, faith-based tour operator founded in 1974 that sells all-inclusive Holy Land tours, Bible-focused cruises, and Catholic pilgrimages to Christian travelers, church groups, and travel advisors worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ETS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Faith-Based Travel Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAJ)
Keywords
Where ETS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Not specified
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ETS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Tour Package Sales: ETS generates revenue through selling all-inclusive faith-based travel packages including Holy Land tours, Bible Land Cruises, Journeys of Paul tours, Catholic Pilgrimages, and other themed cruises and tours. Revenue is collected from end customers (travelers/church groups) via travel agents.
- Cruise and Travel Commissions: As a top producer for cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, AmaWaterways, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Holland America, ETS earns commissions and incentives from cruise partners for booking passenger volume.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Alaska Cruises starting at $1,298-$2,950 per person |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Canada & New England Cruises starting at $1,348-$1,475 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Women's Retreat Cruise starting at $775 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Luxury Voyages starting at $5,498-$5,598 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Mother Teresa's Kolkata & Ganges River Cruise starting at $4,998 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Holy Land Catholic Pilgrimages starting at $3,198-$3,698 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Adventures in Thailand tour starting at $6,198 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
ETS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ETS (Educational Travel Services) is a Florida-based tour operator that has specialized exclusively in faith-based travel since 1974. The company designs, markets, and sells all-inclusive escorted tour packages and cruise itineraries to biblical, Catholic, and Christian heritage destinations worldwide, distributing them through a network of independent travel advisors serving both individual travelers and church groups.
Product overview
ETS (Educational Travel Services) is a faith-based travel company serving the Christian travel market since 1974. The company operates as a tour operator and travel agency, offering a comprehensive portfolio of travel products organized into two main categories: escorted tour products (including Holy Land Tours, Journeys of Paul Tours, Catholic Pilgrimages, Church Heritage Tours, Domestic Tours, Missions Experiences, and Cultural & History Tours) and cruise products (including Bible Land Cruises, River Cruises, Luxury Cruises on Azamara and Oceania lines, and Retreat Cruises). The company also provides digital content through the ETS Travel Podcast and operates a travel agent partner program. ETS serves both individual travelers and groups through a network of travel advisors, with all-inclusive tour packages that cover airfare, accommodations, meals, ground transportation, and guided sightseeing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Holy Land Tours Guided escorted tours to Israel and biblical sites including the Western Wall, Sea of Galilee, and locations from Jesus's ministry. Sold all-inclusive through travel advisors for groups and individuals.
- Journeys of Paul Tours
Companies that use ETS
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ETS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ETS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Royal CaribbeancoreETS is a top-producing partner for Royal Caribbean faith-based cruise bookings, having received Top Producer for Faith Based Cruises recognition annually from 2011-2017 and Southeast Partner of the Year in 2016. ETS books significant passenger volume on Royal Caribbean vessels for faith-based group travel.
- Celebrity CruisescoreETS has earned Celebrity Partner of the Year status and Top Producer for Faith Based Cruises recognition from Celebrity Cruises, indicating a strong preferred partner relationship for booking faith-based cruise passengers.
- AmaWaterwayscoreETS has been recognized as Top Producer for Faith Based River Cruises by AmaWaterways for five consecutive years (2013-2017), demonstrating significant booking volume for faith-based river cruise itineraries.
- Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)coreETS received Outstanding Support Recognition from NCL for 'Selling like a Norwegian' in 2011 and 2012, recognizing ETS's excellence in promoting and selling NCL cruise products.
- Holland America LinecoreETS has received Holland America's Centurions Award multiple times (1995, 1998-2001), recognizing ETS as a high-volume booking partner.
- El Al AirlinescoreETS has been named to El AL's 'Millionaires Club Award' multiple times (1996-1999, 2001) for extraordinary achievements in promoting tourism to Israel on El Al Airlines, demonstrating a strong long-term partnership for Holy Land travel.
- AzamaracoreETS partners with Azamara for luxury small-ship cruise experiences, offering exclusive voyages including Alaska cruises, Voyages of Paul, and other faith-based itineraries aboard Azamara Pursuit and Azamara Quest vessels.
- Oceania CruisescoreETS partners with Oceania Cruises for premium cruise experiences including Paul's Journey itineraries aboard Oceania Sirena, offering all-inclusive pricing with shore excursions and international airfare.
- American Airlines, US Airways, LufthansaminorETS has received Outstanding Sales and Partnership recognition from American Airlines, US Airways, and Lufthansa (2012) for booking significant passenger volume on these carriers for international faith-based travel.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ETS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Christian Heritage Tours: Specialist in Protestant Reformation and church heritage tours across Europe. Closely comparable to ETS's Church Heritage Tours category targeting faith-based group and individual travelers.
- 206 Tours: Catholic-focused pilgrimage and faith-based tour operator offering Holy Land, Italy, and Marian shrine tours. Directly comparable to ETS in faith-based group travel niche with similar pricing and advisor-channel distribution.
- Travel Planners International: Faith-based tour operator referenced in ETS contact data, offering Catholic and Christian pilgrimages through travel advisors. Direct competitor for advisor channel share in the same niche.
- Select International Tours: Catholic pilgrimage tour operator with extensive Holy Land, European, and Marian itinerary offerings. Competes head-to-head with ETS for Catholic church group bookings and travel advisor partnerships.
- Maranatha Tours: Christian tour operator specializing in Holy Land and Bible lands pilgrimages with multi-day escorted itineraries. Mirrors ETS's core educational and faith-based tour product.
Regional players
- Bein Harim Tourism Services: Israel-based tour operator specializing in Holy Land and biblical site tours. Comparable on product focus but operates regionally from Israel rather than as a U.S.-based multi-destination faith operator.
Broad incumbents
- Globus Family of Brands: Large escorted-tour operator offering faith-based, religious, and pilgrimage itineraries through Cosmos and Globus brands. Comparable on tour product structure but as part of a much broader, non-specialized portfolio.
- Collette: Established escorted-tour operator with faith-based and spiritual journey offerings. Competes for travel advisor mindshare but as a generalist across many tour categories, not a niche specialist.
- Insight Vacations: Premium escorted-tour operator with faith-based and cultural pilgrimage itineraries. Overlaps with ETS in premium faith travel but does not specialize exclusively in the niche.
Others
- AmaWaterways: River cruise line and key supplier partner of ETS for faith-based river cruises (Top Producer award 2013–2017). Comparable as an enabler/distributor of faith-based itineraries rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ETS social profiles
Digital presenceETS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ETS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
ETS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ETS 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 ETS
What does ETS do?
ETS (Educational Travel Services) is a Florida-based tour operator that has specialized exclusively in faith-based travel since 1974. The company designs, markets, and sells all-inclusive escorted tour packages and cruise itineraries to biblical, Catholic, and Christian heritage destinations worldwide, distributing them through a network of independent travel advisors serving both individual travelers and church groups.
Is ETS a public or private company?
ETS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ETS founded?
ETS was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ETS based?
ETS is headquartered in Not specified, United States, in the North America region.
How does ETS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tour Package Sales are the primary driver. The others are cruise and Travel Commissions.
Who are ETS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Christian Heritage Tours, 206 Tours, Travel Planners International, Select International Tours and Maranatha Tours. Bein Harim Tourism Services is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Globus Family of Brands, Collette and Insight Vacations. AmaWaterways is listed as an others.
Does ETS have an API?
No public API is recorded for ETS.
What industry is ETS in?
ETS's product category is Faith-Based Travel Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKADAJ, Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 56152 and its SIC code is 8200.