Contiki Tours
Contiki is a New Zealand-based 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.
It is a subsidiary of The Travel Corporation. Its tours historically had a reputation for partying; however, it also operates wellness trips culturally immersive experiences that focus less on alcohol, which are more popular with Generation Z.
Wiki English | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Travel, tourism |
| Founded | 1962 in New Zealand |
| Founder | John Anderson |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | The Travel Corporation |
| Website | contiki |
The company owns lodging facilities in Europe, including the Chateau De Cruix, a 16th century castle in the Beaujolais wine region, and the Gasthof Schoneck 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.
History
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 travellers.
Incidents
In September 2011, a 23-year old Australian woman was found dead on a tour in Italy after falling ill.
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
References
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