John Anderson at the age of 22 took 25 Pounds, an idea and created a new product, an international brand name which is now a 300 Million Dollar plus business. It is an incredible story.
John Anderson built Contiki Holidays through passion, brand and commitment – “we laughed as he spoke, but the passion was strong…..he cried as he delivered parts of the Contiki story, it was moving, empowering and made an impact. He had an idea, a passion, a drive, he made mistakes, he gambled, took risks, but always had a plan. He made something from nothing, built on people, a brand and a passion. An international success story, delivered with sincerity, tears and laughs. John Anderson was Richard Branson before Richard Branson.”
In 1962 with just 25 pounds New Zealander John Anderson found a way to not only see Europe, but to start his own business, Contiki Holidays. At the age of 22 John left New Zealand for England for a one-year trip overseas. He returned 20 years later with his wife Alison, four children and the international tourism business, Contiki Holidays.
When John sold the company it was, and remains, an International “brand name” and one of the worlds major tour operators, (the largest catering specifically for the 18-35 year old market). From a staff of one and a beaten-up minibus, to 700 staff, operating 160 Mercedes coaches and 15 European properties including a Chateau, Hotels, camping grounds and cruise vessels. He had built brand awareness of 92% in target markets, Contiki was operating in Europe, North America and Australasia, carrying 100,000 passengers annually.
When John Anderson eventually returned to New Zealand, from the one-year trip, he continued to run the Contiki Group, and built and operated 2 Resort Hotels one in Queenstown, NZ and the other in Queensland, Australia.
The first Contiki tour was typical of those to come - departing London on 29th April 1962, a group of 11 young strangers from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa with John Anderson as their tour leader set out on a 12 week tour of Europe. They travelled in a 12-seater minibus with their camping gear, a road map and a guidebook together with the enthusiasm to have the experience of a lifetime. The trip was a huge success and they returned life long friends. Contiki had changed their lives.
In the years following over 1.7 million others (including over 850,000 Australians) have had their own Contiki experience. It has had a major impact on the lives of many people, both passengers and staff.
For the majority of passengers it remains one of the highlights of their lives. Many thousands met their lifetime partners, for others it was their first time away from home or travelling overseas and many found life long friends. Contiki reunions are common and continue even from the very first trip.
Contiki developed young Tour Leaders and staff through training, experiences, challenges and a supportive culture. Staff have gone on to become successful in many areas of life as business and community leaders. Staff reunions that recapture the culture and excitement are not uncommon amongst ex-staff.
The Contiki story is an incredible story, which remains virtually untold, yet it's a household name in several countries around the world.
Today John Anderson continues as a management consultant and entrepreneur. John is writing a book on the Contiki Story for release in 2006, and recently he has started a new Company offering holidays for the over 45’s. As a speaker John Anderson has only just began to tell the Contiki story.
After Contiki as a member of the Auckland Rotary Club, John conceived the idea of a major fundraising event. This became “The Ellerslie Flower Show” which is now firmly established as the largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. John Anderson travelled to London and met the “Chelsea Flower Show” organisation who assisted him with the development of the New Zealand show. He was CEO for the first year. The inaugural show attracted over 100,000 visitors and now is firmly established on the international calendar.
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