“Turning 25 Pounds into Global Success”

AIB was pleased to invite Founder of Contiki Holidays, John Anderson, to perform as a guest speaker at their Adelaide alumni and networking event on Thursday, 19th November.

More than 220 guests including AIB alumni, current students, industry guests and staff members attended the event at the Adelaide Convention Centre, and took the opportunity to network following the presentation.

John shared his inspiring story about how he turned 25 pounds into the global success that is Contiki Tours today. His many entertaining anecdotes touched the crowd emotionally, providing a reception that drew both laughter and tears from the audience.

Within his presentation, John shared the key points that have made Contiki Tours a global success, including the power of innovation, and the importance of having a point of difference, which in Contiki’s case, one of the most important was quality.

“I realised that if something is worth doing, don’t take the shortcut; don’t take the cheap option. If something is worth doing, why don’t I do it the very best I possibly can? From that point on, everything I did in my business was the best. I made sure I had the best coaches, best equipment, best trained staff, the best brochures. My tours were never the cheapest, but my God they were the best value,” John said.

“There is no substitute for quality; I proved it time and time again.”

He also shared the value of having a personal plan and business plan, but never being afraid to take calculated risks, which can be made more secure by having a fall-back position just in case.

To date, Contiki has carried over 3 million passengers from around the world, proving the immense impact the company has had from its small beginnings of an idea, 25 pounds, and John’s belief in himself and those around him.

“From that first year travelling in a bashed-up minibus, the number of passengers was 22 and the turnover was $6000. The company now carries well in excess of 100,000 people every year with a multimillion dollar turnover. We have created a truly international brand name, and in many countries it has become an iconic brand, or even the generic,” he said.

Photos from the event can be found on the Australian Institute of Business Facebook page.