‘A’
and I have
been invited to a launch event in
one of the tony pubs in South Mumbai.
It’s the launch of Contiki, a holiday
brand for the youth travelers. If it’s got anything to do with holidays, I have
to be there. I love traveling. [and who doesn’t!]. Having arrived early (we the eager beavers) for the event, we are
welcomed with a bright smile inside the dimly lit interiors. Sanjay
Temkar is an ex-colleague and represents the host organization. He has ushered
us into one of the lounge areas of the
pub. After the pleasantries, he ensures
that we are well-settled and then rushes back to the reception to take care of
the other early arrivals. My eyes start to careen over all the branding which stands out brightly and then settle on a cushy seating area.
We are present at this event
thanks to an invite by Darshan Maheshwari, an ex-colleague (yet again), who is
also a dear friend and is
the Country Manager at The Travel Corporation, an organization whose brands
include Trafalgar Tours and Contiki. 'A' and I have traveled
with Trafalgar Tours just once before in the recent past but with whom we
intend to go with again and again. So in all respects, I was eager
to be here, as he had very earnestly invited us for the launch event. And who can resist a fun invite like this!
Ok, let me furnish a little more
information about Contiki. It is the No. 1 brand for youth travelers specifically in the age
group of 18-35 years. Those who know me well enough to know my age are probably
wondering by now, what I was doing at this event?! But honestly, I am just a wee bit way off the mark to be Contiki’s target audience [relatively speaking, of course ;-)]. As I mentioned earlier, if it
has anything to do with travel, I give in too quickly.
So when Darshan reasoned with me by
saying “Age is of no importance unless you are cheese,”
I willingly gave in to the event invitation. [Not much persuasion was required,
apparently!]
As the early birds are sitting in
the lounge area waiting for the event to begin, trying to kill time, ‘A’ being
a history buff cannot help recounting the story about the Kon –Tiki, the raft
expedition which took place across the Pacific Ocean
in 1947. It was a group led by Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), a Norwegian who
wanted to prove through this expedition that people from South America had
settled in Polynesian Islands in the pre-Columbian times itself. The five-member crew went on this journey using just a basic raft and materials available in earlier times (at least six centuries prior)
just to validate their theory. This voyage spanned over 101 long days and
later became world famous and got converted into a movie as well as many popular books. It’s funny that ‘A’ shares this trivia with me only because of
the namesake similarities between Kon-Tiki and Contiki and because we were here
at the event. If not for the event and Contiki, I would still be clueless about
this interesting story.
Just as ‘A’ is about to conclude on the expedition trivia, Darshan walks up to both of us. Being one of the
hosts of the evening, he wants to ensure that we were comfortable. After the
introductions between Darshan and ‘A’ and
brief conversations around Contiki and plans in India, he excuses himself and moves to other impending responsibilities
for the evening. Besides Darshan and his staff, I could also see that
the folks from the PR agency, the photographers,
and event organizers are all engrossed in a flurry of activities. The guests
have now started trooping in one after the other.
Both of us, are back in each
others company. Being a brand marketer by profession, I like to get inspired
by new ideas and concepts when I see them. So I start clicking pictures of the
interesting brand standees on display and the paraphernalia lying at the
photo-op area. And just then I get distracted. They have now started playing a
fascinating montage of Contiki videos of youth travelers across different parts
of the world. The large display screen suddenly seems to have come to life in
the semi-dark environs of Shiro. I just cannot take my eyes off the screen as
if I had just noticed a stunning jewelry
piece enticing me through the display window.
The beautiful locales and
experiences of the travelers are bringing the whole screen to life as I was
transported right there, experiencing it myself. The videos piqued my interest
and for a moment, I genuinely wish I was a few years younger to
fall in the 18-35 years age bracket [ok, ok, maybe not few years, a little is
more like it]. I would have loved to travel with Contiki and the like-minded
fellow travelers across the world who share my
passion for adventure and creating memories that define what it is to be young,
wild and free. A brand whose tagline says, “Live with no excuses. Travel
with no regrets” will surely ensure that the holiday experience is fascinating
and enriching. With over 270 trips around the world which have more ME time,
more choice, better experiences and
unbeatable value – it really can’t get better than this for the Contiki
audience.
As if salivating over the travel
videos was not enough, both ‘A’ and I
decide to play a little game to keep us engaged before the launch. The game is
to give points for self for the number of destinations that are being shown on the display screen and which of these, each of us have already visited.
A few minutes into the game, when the score is at 10-8 with ‘A’ in the lead, we both painfully realize the
number of countries we have yet to tick off
our bucket list.
Suddenly, there are too many
people milling around us. That’s when we realize that Contiki is ready to be officially launched in the next few minutes. A
ten-minute brief presentation later with
an end slide that sums up my motto in life “One Life. One Shot. Make it Count.”
- A travel brand with a unique concept of catering specifically to 18-35 years
age group gets launched in India by Sam Morrah, director of sales and marketing - Asia,
Contiki Holidays.
Contiki having catered to the youth market around the world since
1962, for sure understands the pulse of the audience. Millennials are more
exploratory, more open to new cultures and don’t want to be tied down to
conventional concepts. Officially
launching the brand in India was a right decision just waiting to happen. Also,
Contiki could not have embarked their
official journey in India at a better time than now. India’s young demographics
are known to have tempted and tickled the fancy of many foreign brands who have
made recent forays in India. Likewise, the Indian youth’s attitude towards
spending on self is also vastly different from the previous Generations - X and
Y. They believe in investing in new experiences and events, even if it means
paying a little more. Especially, with bank balances that are not shrinking
with any pressing responsibilities, opting for late marriages, double income –
no kids, today’s youth has far more disposable income at hand than before. All
these trends point to a burgeoning market size which Contiki aims to attract.
 |
| The relaxed smiles of the Contiki Team after the launch. |
If I have to give one piece of
advice, from one travel buff to another, it is this.
If
you are in the age group of 18-35 years and can afford international travel,
you must experience traveling with Contiki to know really what it has to offer.
Being a recent fan of its sister brand Trafalgar, I can tell you that it is the
most professional travel company you can get anywhere in the world. The
memorable holiday experiences they offer, the warm service that their travel
directors provide on the tour and the unique stories that you get to share with
friends when you come back and cherish many years later, makes it an utterly
enchanting holiday.
With
Contiki, I am sure the experience will be as promised. It will be like enjoying
the best of both worlds – A backpacking experience enmeshed in luxury.
#NOREGRETS is clearly the mood of
the evening. I see many familiar faces, catch up with a few long lost ex-colleagues, get introduced to some new people
from the travel fraternity. I see a young group posing for photographs with the
cool Contiki merchandise and making a
lively ruckus. In another corner, few groups are
indulging in animated discussions, probably planning for their next
holiday destination. And then some others are
just happy to be there. After downing a couple of cocktails and feasting
on the delectable Thai cuisine, we decide
to call it a day to this fun evening.
Live with no excuses. Travel with no regrets
sums up the brand’s attitude totally. #NOREGRETS is
my mantra in life too, and so here I am
posing for a picture for the sake of posterity before heading out.
Let me be honest. No regrets yes,
except maybe just one. I regret the fact
that I will not be able to travel with Contiki anytime (18-35 years, remember!).
But then, there is Trafalgar
Tours of course, for folks like me!
