About Us …

Our company was founded on the principle of giving our clients a rare opportunity to experience Japan not as a tourist, but as a typical native would. Having been associated with Japan and the Japanese people since 1980, lived and worked in Japan for many years, fluent in the language  and virtually accepted as Japanese, Connie Lockwood, founder and CEO of Elite Tours International, began designing and guiding private custom tours for leisure and business to and from Japan in 1994.

During her years in Japan she was touched by the hospitality shown to her by so many throughout the country who invited her into their homes and went out of their way to help her better understand and experience the unique beauty of Japan’s culture, religions and people. Upon returning to the United States, Connie wanted not only to reciprocate that hospitality by giving the Japanese an opportunity to see and experience America as an American, but wanted to provide the same opportunity for Americans to experience Japan not as a tourist but as an insider.

Subsequently her travels and interests spread to East Africa where she supports a school providing education and vocational business skill training to those less fortunate and is co-founder of Help Empower, a non-profit and micro credit providing small loans to women giving them the help they need to start their own businesses which in turn enables them to send their children to school.

Whether witnessing the 5am tuna auction in the largest fish market in the world, having the renowned Kyoto “Geiko” entertain you in your exquisitely private Japanese Inn,  tracking the endangered mountain gorillas and meeting the world’s most wild animals on safari, Elite Tours International will custom design and guide your “もてなし” (service knows no boundaries) tour, providing you with supreme personal service in making sure all your dreams come true.

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