History of Contiki

With its roots starting from 1962, Contiki has come a long way since then. When a young Kiwi, John Anderson, armed with the dream of exploring as much of Europe as possible, posted an advert on a hostel notice board (“European Tour, only two seats left”) and promptly set off on a European adventure with twelve other trailblazers in a battered red kombi minivan named “Tiki” – Maori for good luck. Since that first fateful trip, Contiki has inspired millions of young travellers to embark on unforgettable journeys to discover new cultures and make lifelong connections with other like-minded globetrotters. With over 350 social travel itineraries available across Asia and globally, the original youth adventure travel brand has its sights set on delivering even more meaningful and memorable travel experiences. 

“Contiki has always been about bringing people together and discovering the world. After 60 years — which is an incredible milestone for us—the journey continues. As a brand, we’ve always kept our finger on the pulse of what matters to youth travellers. We look forward to elevating our signature sense of community together with our sustainability efforts to create experiences where our travellers can be united in caring for the one planet we share – whilst still having a lot of fun along the way.” said Mr. Adam Armstrong, Contiki’s CEO. 

Contiki Cares: Renewed Sustainability Efforts

Contiki kicked off its 60th anniversary year with care for and to stand with the environment. They are making significant progress in their parent company The Travel Corporation’s 11 sustainability goals, which are anchored to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In January 2022, they achieved the milestone of making its trips 100% carbon neutral. Since then, Contiki has also eliminated single-use plastic in all its accommodations in favour of reusable and compostable materials. They have also switched all its accommodations to run on renewable energy. In addition to that, 81% of its itineraries now include at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience that leave a positive impact on People, Planet and the Wildlife. 

Chateau Big Weekender: The Party of a Lifetime

An anniversary party is going to be a big party, there are not party like this scale and significance. Contiki intends to celebrate in style with the Chateau Big Weekender, an exclusive, one-time-only itinerary that will see travellers partying like French royalty in the Contiki Château de Cruix, a palatial property in Beaujolais, France that has wowed travellers for decades. 

Taking place from 5th to 7th August 2022, this 3D2N summer extravaganza is going to excite partygoers, living i up with pool parties set against thumping beats of live music spun by DJs, legendary nights spent dancing till the dawn inside the on-property La Cave club and making priceless memories with international friends, both new and old.

In between the bouts of revelry, more cultured activities await, including painting evenings accompanied by wines from the region, exploring the Beaujolais vineyards followed by an al-fresco French feast, and yoga on the Château’s manicured lawns. 

In line with Contiki’s commitment to making progress on its sustainability goals, the Contiki Chateau runs on 100% renewable energy, and all meals by the inhouse chefs are prepared with fresh ingredients that originate from local sources and around France. 

Throughout the trip, Contiki’s quality mainstays will remain, with an Expert Trip Manager, Driver Team and Local Guides offering friendly insights and timely support for a hassle-free trip. Starting from US$349 per partygoer for a QuadShare room at the Château, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s not to be missed. Bookings can be made on Contiki Chateau Big Weekender – limited slots available. 

What’s in store for 2022 and beyond?

Looking ahead, Conitki will continue to build on its impressive momentum to deepen its commitment to achieving the brand’s sustainability goals by progressing on its efforts to reduce food waste at its owned properties, improve local sourcing and introduce more MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences to its itineraries. 

At the same time, the social travel brand will be ramping up its newly launched Contiki Ambassador programme, an insider programme where socials-savvy youth can share about travel and be rewarded with trips and bonuses. With this, Contiki hopes to inspire a new generation of travellers and ignite in them the very spirit of adventurous social travel that characterised the first Contiki trip back in 1962. 

Finally, Contiki will continue to expand its impressive offering of social travel itineraries with new trips launching throughout the year = to brand new locations as well as evolving and much-loved classics. Contiki are experts in multi-country trips, allowing youth travellers to see the best of the best, and help them get back into travel in a safe, enjoyable and sustainable way – for 2022 and beyond. 

* Information and pictures courtesy of Contiki and Red Hill Asia *

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