Contiki New Zealand

This Contiki New Zealand brochure is thought to be the first New Zealand one.

The brochures were produced annually and include content advertising various tours, articles on events or tours, photos of Contiki staff and people on tour. The imagery and content in the magazines not only documents Contiki’s history and the company’s changing identity and branding, but also showcases changes in fashion and travel culture, and features advertising and articles on places visited while on tour.

Contiki

Contiki tours to Europe have been hugely popular with young New Zealanders, and for many was a key part of ‘The Big OE’ (overseas experience), regarded to be a rite of passage for young New Zealanders since the 1960s.

Contiki began in 1962 and is still operating today. Originally the focus was Europe but now Contiki offers 300 trips to 6 continents including tours throughout New Zealand. With their focus on young people and the longevity of their offerings, the Contiki story is one that generations of New Zealanders can relate to either personally or through the experiences of their friends and family.

The first tours were mainly low budget tours and involved camping in tents. They were renouned for being sexually charged boozy trips that whipped through Europe. For some Contiki was more about the social side of travel but for others it was an opportunity to get a quick overview of a country or counties after which they would go back to the places they liked the best.

Contiki provided standard issue suitcases designed to fit neatly into the bus ensuring there was enough space for all the passenger's luggage.

By the 1970s, Contiki had become a much loved and well-established organisation.