John Bowden Legacy

Select Chalets & Hotels was founded in 2008 by John Bowden, an industry pioneer with over 44 years’ experience in schools and adult travel.

Select brings together a talented and dedicated team with 150 years’ collective experience in educational and winter sports tours, alongside our premium chalet rental programme.

Working in partnership with Select School Travel, Select School Tours, Select School Skiing and Chateau du Baffy.

Hourmont Travel

1967
John’s first school ski trip was to Zurs – Austria, in the 1950s by coach with Caerphilly Grammar School (known today as St Martin’s School). The resort was relatively unknown and gave him his first opportunity to travel overseas. His taste for travel simply did not waiver, and he started his first travel role in Cardiff for Robert Hourmont. A timeline of his accolades and achievements follows:

Founded Schools Abroad

1972
Select has a long heritage within school travel. It all began when John Bowden founded SchoolPlan Travel over 40 years ago. John’s first hotel purchase: Seespitz – Seefeld, Austria.

John Bowden founded SchoolPlan Travel

1977

Founded SkiBound Limited

1985
With a keen understanding of the needs of teachers organising school trips, John went on to form several successful school travel companies including Skibound in 1985.

Founded SkiPlan/STS

1999
Maintaining a vision to grow and adapt with the changing school travel industry, John founded SkiPlan/STS in 1999.

Founded Select Chalets & Hotels

2008
With a growing portfolio of properties to manage, Select Chalets & Hotels was born.

Select School Travel is formed with son Martyn at the helm.

2015
With a fast-moving technological landscape, yet wanting to keep the personalised service at the heart of what we do, the next generation of school travel was founded. With son Martyn at the helm, we retain a family-run, friendly team, along with many of the experienced staff who have been part of the Bowden school travel journey.