Heidi Durflinger, 20-year travel and tourism veteran, appointed as CEO of EF World Journeys USA, a leader in guided, experiential travel for Gen Z to Baby Boomers

• Durflinger recently served as President of EF World Journeys in North America, and leads EF Go Ahead, EF Ultimate Break and EF Adventures tour operator brands
• The adult leisure tour business has tripled in customer size since Durflinger assumed the role of President of EF Go Ahead Tours in 2014, being one of the first tour operators to recover to pre-pandemic booking levels in 2022
• EF Adventures, a tour operator brand focused on active travelers and wellness, recently launched in September 2024 with hiking, biking and multi-adventure tours across three continents

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EF World Journeys USA, a leader in guided, experiential travel for adults from Gen Z to Baby Boomers for nearly 35 years, today announced that 20+ year travel and tourism veteran Heidi Durflinger has been named CEO. 

EF World Journeys operates three adult leisure tour operator brands, including:

• EF Go Ahead Tours (adults 35+) - more than 200 guided tours across 6 continents for adults, groups and families.
• EF Ultimate Break (adults 18-35) - over 140 guided tours for Gen Z and Millennial travelers to destinations across Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region.
• EF Adventures (all ages, 14+ with adult supervision) - culturally immersive, guided adventure tour operator with more than 20 tours in 16 countries across the world.

Each year, EF World Journeys sends tens of thousands of adult travelers from the United States and Canada to more than 400 destinations across Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. EF Go Ahead Tours, which has been in operation for 35 years, and EF Ultimate Break, in operation for more than 15 years, have combined nearly tripled in customer growth since 2014.

The newest tour brand, EF Adventures launched its operations in September 2024, and has already departed travelers for its hiking, biking and multi-adventure portfolio.

"I joined EF Go Ahead Tours in a sales role over 20 years ago, inspired by our mission to open the world through education, and I continue to be energized two decades later as we help more customers experience and learn about the world and themselves through travel," said Heidi Durflinger, CEO, EF World Journeys USA, "I'm thankful to the Hult family, founders and owners of EF Education First, who have entrusted me to take on this role, and I'm truly fortunate to work side-by-side with this amazing team across EF World Journeys as we look to expand our business in the years to come. Our shared vision is clear – to deliver the most EPIC tours and to be the best in the tourism industry as we connect our travelers to the history, cultures and stories behind the places we visit."

EF World Journeys is part of EF Education First, a family-owned and privately held company that is a leader in academic services, language learning, cultural exchange services and educational travel.

"For 20 years Heidi has and continues to put our customers first," said Edward Hult, CEO, EF Education First. "Heidi has a natural customer centric mindset – it's in her DNA. She grew up amongst entrepreneurs and understands the nuances and balance required to grow a business. She has an incredible work ethic and is always trying and learning new things. Thanks to Heidi and her team, EF World Journeys is on sound footing for continued growth and is also the epitome of excellence when it comes to being traveler centric and delivering on our larger mission at EF to open the world through education."

About Durflinger

Durflinger joined EF Go Ahead in 2004 as a sales consultant. Over twenty years, she took on numerous senior leadership roles across the business including: sales strategy and leadership, customer experience, market innovation and development, and quality control. She was named President of EF Go Ahead Tours in 2014, and President of EF World Journeys in 2021.

Heidi grew up in the small farming town of Belleville, Kansas, and went on to receive a degree in Marketing and International Business from Kansas State University. She was exposed to the world outside her hometown through international high school exchange students (from all over the world) hosted by her family for nearly a decade. Heidi later caught the travel bug when visiting a former exchange student in Italy, living in Mexico and studying at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. With a passion for wellness, community and cultural exchange, Heidi has traveled to 50 countries around the world.

Her most recent travel experience was running in a self-supported ultra-marathon in the desert of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands in Spain.

"EF World Journeys is fueled by constant curiosity and a natural desire to bridge cultures, communities and people. We're committed to making travel across the world as safe as possible and authentic, life-changing travel experiences that are affordable and accessible to as many travelers as possible," added Durflinger, "At EF, we don't just plan travel. We live and breathe for the opportunity to create moments of education and enlightenment that result from visiting new places across the world."

About EF World Journeys

EF World Journeys is a leader in guided, experiential travel. We connect cultures, communities, and people through guided, group travel with leading tour operator brands like EF Ultimate Break (adults 18-35), EF Go Ahead Tours (adults 35+), and our newest brand, EF Adventures, focused on adventure tours for the active traveler in you. EF World Journeys is part of EF Education First. For nearly 60 years, EF has planned guided tours with a focus on education and cultural immersion. EF offers travelers 24/7 global support, affordable payment plans, and supports tours in more than 400 destinations worldwide. Since 1965, EF has been committed to opening the world through education. At EF World Journeys, we do just that, helping people of all ages experience the magic of travel, connecting travelers with new places, cultures, and, best of all, a diverse community of people excited to explore the world.

SOURCE EF World Journeys