CAMBRIDGE, MA – EF World Journeys USA, a leader in guided, experiential travel for adults from Gen Z to Baby Boomers for nearly 35 years, 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.”