PanAf Travel and Tours

Your Journey, Our Expertise

The PanAf Journey

PanAf Travel and Tours began with a simple yet profound vision: to create travel experiences that transcend typical tourism and foster genuine connections between people and places. Founded in 2005 by a diverse team of travel enthusiasts with roots spanning three continents, our company emerged from the belief that travel has the power to transform perspectives, deepen understanding, and create lasting positive impact.

Our founders, having experienced firsthand the life-changing potential of thoughtfully designed journeys, set out to build a company that would prioritize authenticity, cultural respect, and personalized service. What began as a small operation specializing in faith-based travel to the Holy Land has evolved into a comprehensive travel organization with expertise spanning spiritual pilgrimages, leisure adventures, and corporate travel solutions across the globe.

The name "PanAf" reflects our initial focus on connecting African diaspora communities with their heritage through meaningful travel experiences. As we expanded, we maintained this commitment to cultural connection while broadening our scope to serve diverse travelers with varied interests and needs. Today, our name represents our philosophy that travel should be pan-cultural, pan-experiential, and transformative for all involved.

Our growth has been organic and intentional, guided always by our core values rather than merely commercial interests. In 2010, we established our sister company AJET Israel in Jerusalem to ensure our pilgrimage travelers would benefit from genuine local expertise and authentic experiences. Five years later, EthioAmerica was founded in Addis Ababa, strengthening our connections to East Africa's rich historical and cultural heritage.

Throughout our evolution, we've remained committed to the belief that the most memorable journeys are those that balance carefully planned logistics with room for spontaneous discovery, expert guidance with personal exploration, and iconic experiences with off-the-beaten-path authenticity.

Our Mission

At PanAf Travel and Tours, we exist to create transformative travel experiences that foster understanding, connection, and growth. We accomplish this by crafting journeys that honor the authentic character of destinations, respect the needs of travelers, and contribute positively to local communities.

Our Core Values

Authentic Connection

We believe that meaningful travel goes beyond sightseeing to create genuine connections with places, cultures, and people. Every itinerary we design includes opportunities for travelers to experience destinations through local perspectives and engage with communities in respectful, mutually beneficial ways.

Personalized Excellence

We recognize that each traveler and group has unique needs, interests, and expectations. Our approach centers on listening deeply, customizing thoughtfully, and executing flawlessly to exceed those expectations at every step of the journey.

Responsible Stewardship

We are committed to travel practices that respect and preserve natural environments, cultural heritage, and local economies. We carefully select partners who share our commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices, ensuring that our journeys contribute positively to the destinations we visit.

Continuous Learning

The travel landscape constantly evolves, and so do we. We invest in ongoing education for our team, regularly revisit destinations to update our knowledge, and actively seek feedback from travelers to refine and improve our offerings.

Inclusive Hospitality

We welcome travelers of all backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives, designing experiences that accommodate diverse needs while fostering a sense of belonging and community among those who journey with us.

Our Global Network

PanAf Travel and Tours operates with a unique structure that combines global reach with local expertise. Our network of companies works in seamless coordination to provide travelers with experiences that meet international standards while offering authentic local insights that only come from deep community connections.

PanAf Travel and Tours

Headquarters: Chicago, USA

Our U.S. headquarters serves as the central hub for our global operations, housing our primary customer service team, marketing department, and executive leadership. From here, we coordinate with our sister companies and global partners to ensure consistent quality and seamless experiences across all destinations.

The U.S. team specializes in understanding the needs of North American travelers while maintaining a global perspective that informs all our service offerings.

AJET Israel

Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Established in 2010, AJET Israel (Authentic Journeys and Educational Tours) brings specialized expertise in faith-based travel throughout the Holy Land and surrounding regions. The team consists of scholars, archaeologists, and cultural experts who provide unparalleled depth to our pilgrimage experiences.

AJET maintains strong relationships with religious institutions, historical sites, and local communities throughout Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, allowing our travelers access to meaningful experiences often unavailable to typical tourists.

EthioAmerica

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Founded in 2015, EthioAmerica specializes in cultural and historical journeys throughout Ethiopia and the broader Horn of Africa region. The company was established to showcase Ethiopia's remarkable heritage, from ancient Christian traditions to stunning natural landscapes and vibrant contemporary culture.

The EthioAmerica team includes cultural anthropologists, naturalists, and community leaders who help travelers connect deeply with this often-overlooked destination. Their expertise extends to specialized experiences such as coffee ceremonies, traditional music and dance, and visits to remote historical sites.

The Advantage of Our Network

This integrated structure allows us to offer several unique advantages to our travelers:

Seamless Coordination: Whether you're booking a multi-country journey or focusing on a single destination, our companies work together with shared systems and standards to ensure consistent quality and attention to detail.

Insider Access: Through our sister companies, we provide experiences that go beyond typical tourist offerings, including private access to certain sites, meetings with local experts, and participation in community events not available to most visitors.

Cultural Authenticity: Our local teams ensure that cultural representations are accurate, respectful, and nuanced, avoiding stereotypes and superficial experiences in favor of genuine cultural exchange.

Rapid Response: With team members on the ground in key destinations, we can respond quickly to changing conditions, special requests, or unexpected situations, providing travelers with peace of mind and flexibility.

Leadership Team

The success of PanAf Travel and Tours is driven by our diverse, experienced leadership team who bring together expertise from the travel industry, cultural studies, business management, and customer service excellence.

Dr. Samuel Okafor

Founder & CEO

With a background in cultural anthropology and over 25 years in the travel industry, Dr. Okafor founded PanAf with the vision of creating travel experiences that foster genuine cross-cultural understanding. His academic work on diaspora communities and cultural heritage informs our company's unique approach to destination experiences.

Rebecca Goldstein

Director, AJET Israel

A Jerusalem native with dual American-Israeli citizenship, Rebecca brings 15 years of experience in educational tourism and religious pilgrimage coordination. Her deep knowledge of religious history and strong relationships with diverse faith communities make her invaluable to our pilgrimage programs.

Makeda Haile

Director, EthioAmerica

Born in Ethiopia and educated in the United States, Makeda returned to her homeland to showcase its rich heritage to international travelers. Her background in sustainable tourism development ensures that our Ethiopian experiences benefit local communities while providing authentic insights for travelers.

James Chen

Chief Operations Officer

With extensive experience in hospitality management and corporate travel logistics, James oversees our global operations, ensuring that every journey meets our exacting standards for quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.

Maria Rodriguez

Director of Leisure Travel

Having visited over 75 countries and worked in luxury travel planning for 12 years, Maria leads our leisure travel division with a passion for creating experiences that balance iconic highlights with unexpected discoveries.

What Our Partners Say

"Working with PanAf has transformed how our congregation experiences pilgrimage. Their attention to spiritual significance, combined with logistical excellence, allows our members to focus entirely on their faith journey without distraction."

- Father Thomas Merton, St. Joseph's Cathedral

"As a hotel chain operating in multiple countries, we've found PanAf to be exceptionally professional partners. Their clear communication, attention to detail, and genuine care for their clients make them a pleasure to work with."

- Elena Dimitriou, Regional Director, Mediterranean Heritage Hotels

"Our community tourism initiative has flourished through our partnership with EthioAmerica. They've brought travelers who are genuinely interested in our culture and traditions, creating meaningful exchanges rather than superficial tourist experiences."

- Abebe Kebede, Lalibela Community Tourism Cooperative

Our Credentials

ASTA Member

Proud member of the American Society of Travel Advisors, adhering to their code of ethics and professional standards.

IATA Accredited

Accredited by the International Air Transport Association, ensuring our ability to provide reliable air travel arrangements worldwide.

Travelife Partner

Committed to continuous improvement in sustainable tourism practices through our Travelife partnership.

Faith Travel Association

Active member of the Faith Travel Association, specializing in meaningful religious travel experiences.

Connect With Us

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your travel dreams and how our team can help bring them to life. Whether you have specific questions about our services or simply want to learn more about our approach, we're here to assist you.

Send Us a Message

Fill out our inquiry form and a member of our team will contact you within 24 hours.

Contact Us Now

Our Offices

USA Headquarters

123 Global Plaza, Suite 500

Chicago, IL 60601

Phone: +1-800-555-1234

Email: info@panaftravel.com

AJET Israel

45 Jaffa Road

Jerusalem, Israel

Phone: +972-2-555-6789

Email: israel@panaftravel.com

EthioAmerica

Bole Road, Friendship Building

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Phone: +251-11-555-7890

Email: ethiopia@panaftravel.com