In the first of ITTN’s TTC Touring Week videos, Brian Hynes is joined by Donna Nelson, Area Sales Manager with TTC in the UK, to chat all things Contiki. Watch this short introduction to this youth brand where the pair dispel myths and tell you how to promote Contiki to your customers!
Contiki has been offering experiential travel to the 18-35’s market since 1962 and currently run 225 trips across 6 continents. These trips are aimed at curious and adventurous travellers who like the safety of travelling in a group and without having to plan and organise the entire trip!
The average age on a Contiki trip is 26, but there are exclusive departures for those in the 27 – 35 age bracket who would rather travel with people of a similar age to them. 67% of Contiki’s customers are female, while 33% are male and of these, 79% are travelling solo. 81% are travelling for their first time with Contiki and 19% come back for more!
Pre-pandemic in Ireland, the majority of Contiki trips were being made through a well-known student and youth focused travel agency, but since their closure, these bookings are now being made directly with the company. So, while you may think you don’t have the demographic for booking youth adventure trips, you absolutely do, and TTC tour brands offer price parity to travel agents. In this video, Brian and Donna speak about the security that a group trip offers to parents and the knowledge that their young adventure-seeker is in safe hands and being looked after.
Contiki offer all types of trips, from African safaris to ski and snowboarding trips and island hopping to hiking and trekking. Brian mentions some of the top selling itineraries from the Irish market which include many of the island-hopping trips such as Thailand, Turkey and Greece. He also mentions Contiki’s Australia and New Zealand trips as being a big seller especially for those who are going to start a working holiday visa as this allows them to find their feet and get their bearings before heading off on their own adventures.
Donna gave some great insights into how to promote Contiki to your customers which include being active on social media as this is where young people find inspiration for their next trip. Brian also mentioned speaking to local clubs and groups and leaving brochures with them to entice booking and doing the same at colleges and universities.
Agents interested in downloading assets such as videos and social tiles are encouraged to visit TTC’s agent portal: agents.ttc.com/login
Competition
Coming up later in the week, we will have short pre-recorded presentations on Costsaver (Wed), Trafalgar (Thurs) and Insight Vacations & Luxury Gold (Fri) and keep your eyes peeled for ITTN’s exclusive competition, starting on Friday, where you could win a stay at Ashford Castle simply by answering a couple of questions based on this weeks videos!
