More freedom, less structure: Contiki rebuilds for a new generation of travellers

Contiki's story began in 1962 when a young Kiwi started advertising two remaining seats on a European bus tour that didn't quite exist yet. In fact, he hadn't sold a single ticket.

It was an audacious way to launch a travel company, but the idea caught on. Now, some 64 years later, Contiki is embarking on its biggest business and brand reinvention yet.

Driven by a new generation of travellers seeking experiences as much as destinations, and greater freedom over where they go and how they get there, the global travel company is expanding from one core proposition into eight distinct experience-led categories, overhauling its digital platform and fundamentally changing how its trips are designed, sold and experienced.

Unveiled in Sydney on Wednesday night, the global transformation, developed with Publicis Australia and Havas Media, is being launched under a new brand platform, GO WANDER.

For Toni Ambler, managing director of The Travel Corporation Oceania and chief customer officer of Contiki, the ambition is to retain the spirit that built the brand while giving the next generation of travellers considerably more choice.

“We're going to split the Contiki brand from one to eight, eight different ways to travel, to explore the world and to give young travellers choice on where they want to wander,” Ambler told guests at the launch.

Seven of these new travel verticals are already live, with Luxe, offering upgraded accommodation and more premium experiences, scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2027. Other segments now up and running include Local, Outdoors, Originals, Lite, Highlights, Islands and Festivals.

The changes are supported by 76 new or reimagined trips due by the end of 2026, including expanded itineraries across India and Japan, gorilla trekking in Uganda, hiking in the Dolomites and new island experiences in Fiji and the Maldives.

Contiki is also moving beyond the coach-based travel model that helped establish its global reputation and presence in 78 countries.

Ambler said coaches now account for just 40% of how Contiki delivers its trips, with transport ranging from rail and public buses to tuk-tuks, safari vehicles, sailboats and hiking and cycling experiences.

Rebuilding the digital journey

A significant part of the transformation is taking place behind the scenes.

Contiki has unveiled the first phase of a two-year digital overhaul, including a redesigned website covering more than 750 pages and serving an audience of approximately 1.5 million monthly active users and 2.8 million monthly page views.

The new experience is designed to move travellers more easily from discovering a destination to selecting and booking a trip, with the company describing its ambition as creating a “Netflix of travel”.

In 2027, Contiki plans to introduce personalised customer profiles allowing travellers to save trips, track their travel history, set preferences and connect with other members of the Contiki community before, during and after their journeys.

It is also developing Contiki Builder Trip, a customisation platform that will allow customers to assemble itineraries from hundreds of options, adjust the time spent in different destinations, select accommodation and add experiences.

An AI-powered inspiration tool is also planned to help travellers generate an initial itinerary before refining it themselves.

The strategy extends beyond bookings to creating a longer-term relationship with travellers, with the digital platform intended to become a social ecosystem connecting customers across multiple trips.

Another initiative, Wander with Me, is being trialled to allow Contiki's trip leaders to develop and sell their own itineraries, opening up a new way for the company to use the expertise and personal followings of its travel staff.

New experiences, new pricing

Contiki is also introducing a travel incubator program, Contiki Limited Edition, which will invite brands and operators to co-create experimental trips and test them with customers.

The first experiences planned for 2027 include surf camps in Portugal, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica, a ski experience in South Korea and a mountain music festival in Austria.

Successful concepts could eventually become permanent additions to the company's travel portfolio.

From business strategy to brand platform

Both Havas Media and Publicis Australia have been closely involved in the transformation, working across business and brand strategy, customer research, trip and experience design, and the redesigned digital purchase journey.

Simone Waugh, managing director of Publicis Australia, said the project demonstrated how brand strategy could influence the underlying business rather than simply its communications.

“GO WANDER is an example of what can happen when business and brand strategy are developed hand in hand,” Waugh said.

Havas Media has developed the global media strategy, with partnerships spanning TikTok and Google and an emphasis on reaching younger audiences through entertainment, creators and social platforms.

The launch has been supported by an integrated campaign involving creator partnerships through Influential and earned communications led by HERD MSL.

At the centre is On Contiki, a vertical micro-drama series directed by Australian filmmaker Gracie Otto and filmed in Costa Rica.

Following four young travellers through friendship, adventure and self-discovery, the series is designed as entertainment rather than a conventional advertising campaign, with distribution through Contiki's global TikTok and YouTube partnerships.

Kate O'Ryan-Roeder, chief executive officer of Havas Media Australia and New Zealand, said the strategy required a different approach to how the brand connects with younger audiences.

“Our role was to build a global media ecosystem that could bring Contiki's new direction to life, using strategic media partnerships, entertainment-led storytelling and data-driven innovation to connect with young travellers in meaningful and culturally relevant ways,” O'Ryan-Roeder said.

For Ambler, the investment in technology is ultimately intended to strengthen rather than replace the human element of travel.

“We're investing in technology because it can make travel easier, but we're investing in our people because they make travel extraordinary,” she said.