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Five years after coming up with their own booking concept for a ski holiday, brothers Marcus and Alexander Blunt are celebrating their status as a revolutionary new force in the winter travel industry.
From a standing start in 2018, their Bristol-based firm Heidi has transformed the way people can plan and book their ski holidays. The fully-flexible platform takes away all the fuss and complexity about finding the right ski holiday for skiers’ pockets – from short breaks to longer stays.
Embracing 'smart technology,' the Blunts have disrupted traditional models by offering unparalleled flexibility in ski and board trip bookings. Unlike other providers who rely on fixed schedules (generally a Saturday to Saturday model where flights and hotels are block booked), Heidi allows customers to choose any day for departure, any duration, with a vast array of options. All with flights, transfers, accommodation and ATOL protection as standard.
You get the option of refining your search by selecting online tick-box options such as beginner resorts, après-ski, powder, ski in / ski out, as you quickly build your own dream package with a few clicks of your mouse. Or if you prefer, you can call Heidi’s friendly team; they’ll walk you through some of your preferences and search for you (for free) and send you some options.
Go where you want, when you want and for as long as you want. And with Heidi you can book your ski holiday up to 2 days before departure – perfect for cashing in on that great dump of powder that’s just been forecast.
Heidi’s offerings now span the globe with over 300 resorts to choose from. These include the big hitters in classic destinations such as the French and Austrian Alps but also recent launches in North America and Bosnia, as well as hidden gems across Europe from Andorra to Bulgaria, the French Pyrennees, Italy and Switzerland. Notably, the company has also expanded its reach to offer trips from Ireland.
Heidi’s remarkable story of growth and innovation started in 2018 with Marcus’ frustration while planning a ski weekend with friends. The faff, expense and time it was taking to book a group of mates was mind-boggling! So he created a spreadsheet calculating the best ski trip options based on various parameters, such as flight times and prices. This process, although initially time-consuming, was a pivotal moment for the brothers, as they came to the realisation that they could apply their collective skills and technology to simplify ski trip planning to come up with an easier way of planning a ski holiday than creating spreadsheets - without losing flexibility.
The idea was the genesis of Heidi - a platform designed to simplify ski trip planning for everyone. Led by the entrepreneurial duo, Heidi emerged from its initial form, Ski Zoom, last year, to become a powerhouse in the industry.
Breaking the stereotype that skiing is a pursuit only for the wealthy, Heidi offers trips ranging from the moderately-priced to budget-friendly options – but they do still include some eye-wateringly expensive high-ticket trips for the deepest of pockets as well! But their mission is to enable the mountains to be accessible to more people, so more get to enjoy a ski experience.
And that’s not just confined to ski breaks – Heidi can help you plan a visit to the mountains any time of the year.
Remarkably, 80% of Heidi’s bookings are now for shorter breaks, catering to a diverse range of ski enthusiasts, either short on time, or tight on budget. Whether it’s mates getting away for a weekend or families introducing the snow to young kids, or maybe for an all-round cheaper trip, many are adopting fewer days.
So, check out what the fuss is about and have a look round heidi.com
