Our Story
As reflected in our name, we believe that all travel is educational. Beyond the classroom, people learn throughout their lives from experience, and few experiences teach like travel.
Fifty years of learning through travel
A principal’s idea
In 1974, a retired high school principal recognized a link between travel and learning. Educational Tours and Travel Corporation was formed to provide travel experiences focused on learning for students and youth.
New owners, same vision
After nearly two decades refining that vision, the founder retired once again, and in 1995 the company was taken over by its current owners, Todd Jones and Rex Davis.
Still traveling with our groups
Todd and Rex both wanted to build a career doing something they loved, and that shared love was travel. Three decades later, they still personally travel with groups every year, including some that have traveled with us for more than 30 years.
Todd still remembers one moment on one of those trips.
“I’d been taking the same group to Washington DC every year for more than 20 years when one of the dads pulled me aside. He told me he’d been on that exact trip as a student, and that it was while visiting the sites in DC that he decided to become a police officer, which is exactly what he became. Now he was back with his son beside him, because he wanted him to experience exactly what he felt on that trip. That’s why we still do this.”
Todd Jones, President
Custom travel for groups of all ages
Educational Tours is an IATA accredited tour operator and a member of both the National Tour Association (NTA) and the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA), specializing in custom travel for pre-formed groups of all ages. We don’t offer “catalog” tours. Instead, we build each tour around the specifications provided by the group leader, so they can design an experience that meets the goals behind their decision to travel. Since 1974 we have taken thousands of groups across the United States and around the world, and the supplier network we’ve built over those decades makes it possible.
One planner, one whole team
When you plan with Educational Tours, you work with a dedicated planner from your first call to your final day. Behind that planner is our whole team, and you’ll have direct contact with every one of us. Most group leaders work with each member of our staff at some point during planning, so you always know exactly who is taking care of your group.
We invite you to join us in planning or traveling on one of our custom group tours. Whatever your group’s age or goals, we’d love to help you create a trip your travelers will still be talking about 20 years from now.
Request a custom proposal
Tell us what you teach and where you want to go, we’ll handle everything else.
