About the EO Christian Travel Company
About Educational Opportunities
Since 1974, Educational Opportunities has been dedicated to providing quality Christian travel programs at an affordable price. Over the years, more than 250,000 Christians have traveled on the various faith-based tours.
From its inception, EO incorporated elements of Christian learning whenever possible. Lectures, study books, and specialized guiding are the pioneering hallmarks of EO's development. Today, many companies have copied the EO educational approach to faith-based travel, but our biblical tours remain some of the highest quality Christian travel programs available.
History of the Company
A Dream, a Shoe Box and a Garage: In 1973, two Pennsylvania brothers joined forces to create a new kind of travel company, a Christian travel company. Educational Opportunities was the visionary dream of Dr. James Ridgway and his brother, Commander Dick Ridgway. Their quest was to provide affordable, educational travel to Christians from across the United States.
In the first year, Educational Opportunities had just three employees and served 500 passengers to a single destination. The office was a garage and, yes, files were actually kept in a shoe box during those early days.
From these modest beginnings, the Christian travel company has grown to over 60 staff members in the US headquarters office. EO has served over 350,000 Christians. Each year the Holy Land continues to draw pilgrims to the sites where Jesus taught. And each year, 2500 pilgrims join us on an exclusively chartered ship to follow the Journeys of the Apostle Paul in Greece, Turkey and Italy. In 2000, EO served over 11,500 Christians as they journeyed to Europe to see the Oberammergau Passion Play; the next Passion Play will be in 2010.
While these are just a small sampling of the many faith-based tours EO now offers, our core program remains the Holy Land. Over the years, EO has become North America's largest organizer of Christian Tours to the Land of the Bible.
Throughout the years, EO has maintained the visions of their founders, Jim and Dick Ridgway.
The promise of affordable Christian travel with an educational purpose will remain the hallmark of EO and our biblical tours.
From Shoe-Box Files to Computers: From that garage office and shoe-box files in 1973, EO has grown to a staff of over 60 competent caring persons in a completely modern, computerized office in the United States. Educational Opportunities continues to provide well planned Christian travel programs for groups to all destinations. In addition, we also provide low cost airfare to mission groups.
From Tourism to Journeys of a Lifetime: The dedicated and talented leadership of Dr. Ridgway grew from a background of pastoral ministry and broad experience as a professional in the field of international travel. His dreams place an emphasis on:
- education
- Biblical
- faith-based
- inspiration
- affordability
- value for the travel dollar
- pastors and laypersons sharing in spiritual pilgrimages
- life-enriching travel with its share of laughter and camaraderie
- hassle-free travel
- a true Journey of a Lifetime