John Anderson

Business leader John Anderson has been helping youths travel around the world as the founder of Contiki Tours. His presentations continue to inspire audiences with honest anecdotes from his entrepreneurial career. 

As a young New Zealander, John was determined to travel across Europe, but realised he did not want to travel alone. With exactly 25 pounds in savings, John strategised a genius way to travel across the continent: buy a minibus and split the costs with other travellers.

Before long, John had gathered a group of people to travel with for twelve weeks. When he was unable to sell the minibus after his trip, he decided to advertise his Europe trip again, this time fitting in two separate trips over the summer season.

John Anderson founded Contiki Holidays in 1961 and was an instant hit with youths in their twenties. Under his leadership, Contiki grew into an internationally recognised brand that became one of the world's major tour operators. Annually, the company takes over 100,000 keen travellers around the world.

With years of experience building his business, John recounts the many successes and setbacks that defined his career. His keynote presentations are a mix of humour and heartfelt honesty, as he inspires his audiences to take a leap of faith and embrace adventure.