Tour Operators

Contiki Takes Seneca Students On An Adventure

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Millennials are frequently described as early-adopters of new trends in travel, and Contiki Holidays has been orchestrating Millennial travel for decades.

Since its inception in 1962, Contiki has operated as a youth-oriented tour operator, managing to capture the market on the coveted 18-35 demographic.

Contiki’s success in this arena is legendary and with destinations ranging from the luxurious, such as an island-hopping Bali escape, to the rugged – like its Machu Pichu treks – they ensure there’s a vacation for every interest and budget.

Regardless of the destination, or duration, a Contiki trip is never dull. Seneca College students were offered the opportunity to experience the company motto, #NoRegrets, for themselves during a recent fam touring Niagara Falls and the Jackson Triggs vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Motorcoaches whisked students around the Golden Horseshoe in comfort while trip leaders played ice breaker games, giving the students a look at a typical day on a Contiki Tour.

This landmark event was organized through the Seneca College Hospitality and Tourism Program, which in recent years has developed a close partnership with Contiki Holidays. Seneca College is unique in Canada for having built the Contiki Champions web course into its curriculum, says Jenni Berg, Contiki Holidays’ Ontario Business Development Executive. She adds that this affords Seneca students, many of whom will enter an agency environment post-graduation, a first-hand look at Contiki’s product range, providing them with a distinct advantage when reaching out to the Millennial market.

Of course, this partnership accomplishes more than just educating future agents on Contiki Holidays. As Seneca College student Ivan Garcia Gomez remarked, “Contiki allows us to go places that really cater to our interests and sensitivities.”

Erica Adelson, PR and Digital Media Specialist for Contiki, agrees. After a world-wide passenger survey, she says, Contiki has taken the responses to heart and formulated trips that resonate with Millennials. Offering itineraries that allow for action-packed adventures, Instagram-worthy photo-ops and plentiful “Me Time,” a Contiki tour allows travellers the ability to customize their trips to a degree never before seen in the industry.

Additionally, Contiki’s long history in the industry provides security for parents who may be nervous sending their children off for month-long trips in foreign countries – in fact, many parents may be past Contiki travellers themselves. Operations, continues Adelson, are a vital part of the Contiki method, providing a seamless experience for guests abroad and the reassurance of frequent communication with the adventurers for the parents – and travel agents – left at home.
As Berg states, Contiki’s strength lies in its connection to travel students, in part through initiatives like the Seneca College Fam Trip. “In this case, a lot of these travel students will grow with us and support us as travel agents, or on other sides of the industry.”

From the atmosphere on the trip back to the Seneca Campus, it’s easy to see where her confidence stems from – after only a day, the students have bonded as a group, and it’s easy to see why so many Millennial travellers have #NoRegrets about their Contiki holidays.

Pictured, group photo, Contiki Holidays and Seneca College Hospitality and Tourism students. Below, Contiki Holidays’ Jenni Berg, David Marathakis, Adam Bobawsky and Braden Allen.

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