Catching Up with EF World Journeys CEO Heidi Durflinger

Heidi Durflinger learned the power of travel at a young age.

Growing up in a small farm town in Kansas, Durflinger’s first real exposure to international cultures was at 9 years old, when her family began hosting international exchange students.

“I have sisters all over the world I’m still in touch with,” Durflinger told Travel Market Report in an exclusive interview. “Super instrumental… [it] got me very interested in learning about other cultures and traditions and languages and foods around the world.” 

Heidi Durflinger is the CEO of EF World Journeys, a division of the family-owned international education company EF Education First. She is a respected leader within the travel industry, and is known for her insight and leadership advice. This past year, she was a keynote speaker at the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s Adventure Travel World Summit.

Few of us have the benefit of knowing our life’s passion from childhood. Durflinger knew: she experienced the world as much as she could as a young adult, spending a summer in Mexico and then living in Spain for a year with Rotary Club International, helping write grants for other students to experience travel abroad.

Durflinger’s career has blossomed from that initial interest in cultural exchange to an impressive career. She joined the industry as an entry-level tour consultant for EF Education First—fitting for someone whose first exposure to other cultures was through student exchange trips. 

The CEO told TMR that her early exposure to travel as a means for learning about other cultures permeates every decision she makes.

“It started when I was young with this interest in learning about other cultures,” she explained. “We design our products to help people learn—not just see a place, but to really experience it, immerse themselves and connect with other people.”

From Tour Consultant to CEO

Over the years, Durflinger worked her way up through the family-owned company, wearing multiple hats: she ran sales teams, trained, oversaw the group travel division, and more. One promotion led to another—vice president of customer experience, then vice president of marketing.   

All the while, Durflinger kept growing and learning.

“I am a lifelong learner,” she told TMR. “I’m a big believer in the concept of having a growth mindset, of taking control of your own growth and development… [that] concept of always learning and growing is something I embody in myself, and it’s been critical.”

In 2014, Durflinger was named president of EF Go Ahead Tours, the brand offering guided tours for travelers of all ages. From there, she stepped up to lead the entire EF World Journeys tour operator—one of the largest in the U.S. and a global leader in educational travel.

Last December, she became CEO. Her first year in the position has been rewarding as she’s been able to watch the launch of the new brand, EF Adventures.

“It’s been really exciting to see how much evolution has happened in the company,” she said.

On Launching EF Adventures

The EF Adventures launch was a major milestone in Durflinger’s career.

The brand rolled out in September 2024. Launching with more than 20 itineraries in 16 countries, EF Adventures was created to meet market demand for trips that involve both physical activity and cultural immersion. 

An avid fan of active travel herself, Durflinger saw the potential for a brand dedicated to the growing adventure travel niche.

“I’m an adventure traveler and love to explore by bike and foot, and do all sorts of active events in my day-to-day life,” said Durflinger. 

The inspiration for the new brand actually started during the pandemic, a period Durflinger described as “one of the hardest moments in my career.” The experience showed her two things: that people were longing to make meaningful connections, and that people were looking for opportunities to get outdoors and see “less explored” spaces.

“What sets us apart is that education is in all of the itinerary design,” said Durflinger. “We don’t want you just to ride the beautiful routes or hike the amazing paths of the world … We want you to have an expert local guide that’s with you that’s helping bring the stories to life.”

Durflinger believes EF Adventures is uniquely positioned to address a gap in the marketplace for active travel with a distinctly educational focus.

“This education element was a gap,” Durflinger told TMR. She explained that after experiencing other adventure travel products, she felt that there was a lot of focus on the activity itself, like cycling, and “less so on the cultural immersion and on the learning elements.”

EF Adventures was created with itineraries designed to combine activity with both authentic cultural experiences and community building—giving travelers that sense of personal connection that’s increasingly tied up in conversations about wellness. 

“We’ve built a really active, engaged community of people that want to connect with other adventure, curious travelers,” said Durflinger.

“We have a mobile app where there’s a big community element that people are super active in. They’re introducing themselves before they go. They’re actively sharing photos and talking to each other throughout the journey, and when they come back, they’re continuing to stay in touch with each other.”

What Are the Biggest Trends Shaping Guided Travel?

EF Adventures’ launch has coincided with an increased interest in both wellness and active travel.

“Everyone is trying to focus on their health and healthy aging,” said Durflinger. “Wellness and active travel … is one of the fastest growing segments in adventure travel.”

It’s not limited to just the adventure travel segment either. Durflinger told TMR that EF Ultimate Break rolled out sober tours in response to travelers who want to focus more on health, and that EF Go Ahead Tours have added walking tours for guests who want to be more active.

Another major trend shaping the industry is solo travel. The CEO told TMR that EF World Journeys has seen solo travelers more than double since the pandemic, and has continued to grow steadily even as the “revenge travel” impulse died down.

Durflinger attributes the rise to more and more people deciding they want to travel regardless of having a significant other or friend to go with. She says the niche is “thriving” and is a “beautiful way” for these solo travelers to connect with like-minded people. 

“We have a slogan that’s travel solo, not alone.”

Within the solo travel growth, another trend has emerged: women-only trips. 

“Launched a whole series of solo tours that are specifically designed with a solo traveler in mind, and a trend that we’ve seen within that is that over 80% of those travelers are women,” she said. 

This sparked the creation of tours not just for women and female-identifying travelers, but led by women and including local suppliers, like restaurants, owned by women. These tours are available in countries like Egypt, Italy, and even one in Japan featuring female pearl divers. 

Durflinger also sees interests continuing to drive travel decisions. She mentioned food and wine as a personal passion (“I’m a foodie,” she told TMR), but also observed that shows and books continue to inspire travel. What’s more, these interests can lead to communities of fans who want to travel together.

“We’ve seen a big rise in this concept of fandom,” she explained. The CEO said EF Ultimate Break’s BookTok series, which connects passionate fans of a book series with a content creator. “We have a whole series of those tours… and it’s continuing to grow.”

Durflinger told TMR that other areas she sees potential for growth in are the Croatia yachts and the shoulder season. In terms of the active niche, she thinks hiking is in a great position to introduce newcomers to this travel style.

“I think there’s a lot more potential for hiking. It’s accessible,” she explained.