ONLY TWO SEATS LEFT! The Incredible Contiki Story
By John Anderson
The
success story of one of the world's biggest travel companies and the man behind
it.
In 1962, at tender age 23, John Anderson was bitten by
the travel bug. He departed his home town in Wellington, New Zealand travelling
east through 17 countries, on the overland trail. Arriving in London at the end
of his seven week trip he had just £100 in his pocket and a huge desire
to travel across Europe. But how?
Upon reflection of his recent
travels, he came to understand that he most enjoyed himself when he travelled
with a group of other young people and thus his idea was born. He put the following
note up at the Overseas Visitors Club in Earls Court, London.
Without
even having purchased a bus or camping equipment, the tour sold out within 10
days and he had already planned a second one to leave just 3 days after the first
had returned. Following the success of both the sellout tours and realizing he
wasn't ready to return home to New Zealand and that he could actually make money
out of doing something he loved, John bought a second mini bus and named the company
'Tiki Tours' and thus a business was born!
John returned from
the UK some 20 years after he first arrived, he brought home a wife, a young family
and a booming international tourism business. He continued to run the Contiki
Group and amongst other ventures, John built and operated two Resort Hotels -
one in Queenstown, New Zealand and the other in Queensland, Australia.
'Only
Two Seats Left' is John Anderson's story. Inspirational, humorous and educational
- part business, part travel memoir. 'Only Two Seats Left' covers his successes
and failures, offering valuable insights into Contiki's initial and continued
success. Compiled through interviews with ex-Contiki staff, passengers, suppliers,
travel agents and some of the 2 million people the Contiki brand has touched,
his story is truly enlightening and entertaining, filled with many anecdotal and
business messages.
'Only Two Seats Left' is available
now.
