Only 2 Seats Left: The Incredible Contiki Story

Initially I mistook this for a travel book, or a book about a travel company. It is, but it is far more about business, entrepreneurship, ambition and achieving success, and of course, it is also a biography.

Not many people wouldn't have heard of Contiki. It is probably one of the 2 or 3 biggest brand names in travel. From the humble beginnings of a kiwi guy in London without enough money to travel to Europe, it grew into an iconic multi-million dollar travel company.

John Anderson was the founder. In 1962, he bought a Commer van, fitted it out with a roof rack, bought the tents and camping equipment, and set off for Europe with eleven paying passengers on a 12 week, 15 country tour. On his return to London, he turned around and did it again, with another group.

The following year he did the same thing, and from there, he got bigger.

This book comes across at pretty honest. I don't get the impression John Anderson left much out, and he didn't hide behind anything. He talks about risks and reward. He talks about the many mistakes he, and others, made along the way, but more importantly he shows that anything is possible. He divulges some of the business tactics that Contiki used - probably not considered very about board now, but also has a pretty neutral view of the tactics used by his copycat competitors against him.

In its heyday, Contiki was unbelievably large, with fingers in so many businesses that were not publicly visible. They had set up side by side companies to compete with themselves in slightly different markets, they owned (if not totally, a share in) camping grounds, hotels, resorts, adventure sports companies, a thermal reserve, a floatplane company, a harbour cruise company and of course were running literally hundreds of tour coaches in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Contiki are still an industry leader, although John Anderson is no longer involved. The Contiki experience didn't end the way he might have thought, but I won't spoil that for readers. It was a sad and ignoble sort of end for the man who was for so long the visionary, and the driving force behind the company.

A very easy read. A well constructed narrative, the story is well told and fast paced.
4 stars - great read for inspiration and lessons learned.