Contiki Tours
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Short description|Tour company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Contiki
| logo = Contiki Logo - Clean.svg
| type = Subsidiary
| founder = John Anderson
| founded = {{start date and age|1962}} in New Zealand
| area_served = Worldwide
| parent = The Travel Corporation
| location = Geneva, Switzerland
| homepage = {{URL|contiki.com}}
}}
Contiki is a global tour company that caters to 18 to 35-year-olds, offering over 350 different tours in over 75 countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.{{cite web | url=https://www.tourradar.com/o/contiki#about | title=Contiki Reviews and Tours | publisher=TourRadar}} It is a subsidiary of The Travel Corporation. Its tours historically had a reputation for partying;{{cite news | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/87431361/new-zealands-love-affair-with-contiki-tours | title=New Zealand's love affair with Contiki tours | work=Stuff | date=December 10, 2016}}{{cite news | url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/what-really-happens-on-a-contiki-tour/news-story/88ff166c986aa1123379e7a2f1d20364 | title=What really happens on a Contiki tour? | first=Alexandra | last=Burnie | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=April 7, 2014 | archive-date=November 9, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109103057/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/what-really-happens-on-a-contiki-tour/story-fnjjuxvu-1226874628211 | url-status=live}} however, it also operates wellness trips and culturally immersive experiences that focus less on alcohol, which are more popular with Generation Z.{{cite news |title=Travel’s Moment of Clarity: Sober Tourism Is a Real Business | url=https://skift.com/2019/11/19/travels-moment-of-clarity-sober-tourism-is-a-real-business/ | first=Rosie | last=Spinks | work=Skift |date=November 19, 2019 }}
The company owns lodging facilities in Europe, including the Chateau De Cruix,{{Cite web |title=Stay at the Chateau De Cruix in France with Contiki |url=https://www.contiki.com/en-us/about/accommodation/europe/chateau-de-cruix |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.contiki.com}} a 16th-century castle in the Beaujolais wine region, and the Gasthof Schoneck{{Cite web |title=Haus Schoneck, Austria {{!}} Contiki Special Stay |url=https://www.contiki.com/en-us/about/accommodation/europe/gasthof-schoneck |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.contiki.com}} in the Austrian Tyrol.
The name "Contiki" comes from the portmanteau 'Con' from the word 'Continent' and 'Tiki'; from the Māori referring to the first man, often symbolised as a pendant known as hei-tiki. It can also be attributed to the New Zealand slang 'Tiki-tour' describing taking a longer route to a destination in order to explore.{{cite news | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/15-kiwi-slang-words-a-chocka-tiki-tour-in-jandals/HLVM3FBOBQPMSD6NVIDYVS4JRQ/ | title=15 Kiwi slang words: A chocka tiki tour in jandals | work=The New Zealand Herald | date=March 20, 2014}}
History
Founding years (1962)
In 1962, when New Zealander John Anderson was alone and without much money he devised a plan so that he would not have to travel alone and could see Europe for free. He put a deposit on a minibus, gathered a group of people to travel with, and spent 12 weeks exploring Europe with his group. At the end of the trip, he unsuccessfully tried to sell the minibus. As a result, he decided to promote his Europe trip again, and this time he was able to fit two trips into the summer season. The first tours were booked by 19- to 29-year-olds, starting the tradition of Contiki Holidays being for youth travelers.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnuVQQAACAAJ | title=Only Two Seats Left: The Incredible Contiki Story | first=John | last=Anderson | authorlink=John Anderson (New Zealand businessman, born 1938) | date=2010| isbn=978-0-646-51588-5 }}
Late 1960s and early expansion
Contiki Travel Ltd was established in the UK in 1966. By the end of the 1960s, Contiki had expanded from European tours and was running ski programs, along with trips in India and the Middle East.
1980s: Acquired by the Travel Corporation (TTC)
Contiki joined The Travel Corporation in the mid-1980s.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
2018: Launch of Africa trips
Contiki launched its first ever safari trip{{Cite web |title=Breaking Travel News |url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/contiki-expands-into-africa-for-first-time/}} in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2018.
2020 - Present Day
In 2023, Contiki launched its first trip to South Korea.{{Cite web |title=Contiki launches first-ever South Korea trip {{!}} Philstar.com |url=https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/travel-and-tourism/2023/07/07/2279378/contiki-launches-first-ever-south-korea-trip |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.philstar.com}}
In 2024, Contiki launched its first trip to the Philippines.{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Baxter |date=2024-03-08 |title=Contiki launches island-hopping trip to the Philippines |url=https://www.travelpress.com/contiki-launches-island-hopping-trip-to-the-philippines/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=TravelPress |language=en-US}}
In 2025, Contiki launched three new trips to Indonesia, including an 8 day island hopping trip, 6 day Komodo and Flores Sail trip, and a 13 day Indonesia Island hopping trip. {{Cite web |title=Contiki Adds Three New Trips to Indonesia in 2025 |url=https://www.travelpulse.com/news/tour-operators/contiki-adds-three-new-trips-to-indonesia-and-bali-in-2025 |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=TravelPulse |language=en}} They announced the addition of Run Club Tours in Europe for summer 2025. {{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Justin |date=2025-02-03 |title=Travel Brand Contiki Launching Run Club Tours |url=https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/travel-brand-contiki-launching-run-club-tours/ |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=SportsTravel |language=en-US}}
=Incidents=
In September 2011, a 23-year old Australian woman was found dead on a tour in Italy after falling ill.{{Cite news | url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/aussie-backpacker-found-dead-on-contiki-tour-20110930-1l06h.html | title=Aussie backpacker found dead on Contiki tour | first=Glenda | last=Kwek | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=September 30, 2011}}
In December 2016, one of the company's vans went off a cliff on the way to a surf beach in the Gili Islands, killing one passenger and injuring two others.
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.contiki.com/}}