When Contiki launched its ‘Live the Legend’ campaign, it was pitched as a reinvention moment for a brand long tied to “Euro party buses”. The creative platform promised something bigger: immersive, once-in-a-lifetime adventures spanning Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
The gamble paid off. ‘Live the Legend’ has picked up marketing awards, pulled in tens of millions of impressions across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and lifted brand consideration by more than 20 per cent among Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Engagement across Contiki’s owned channels has tripled, and organic mentions have jumped double digits.
But in travel, the ultimate proof isn’t in the campaign metrics—it’s in the traveller experience. To test whether Contiki’s promise matched reality, B&T spoke to Elyse, a 22-year-old Anthropology graduate and Gen Z content creator who recently returned from a Contiki Africa trip.
B&T: Elyse, thanks for chatting. Before you left, what was your perception of Contiki?
Elyse: Honestly? Just Europe and drinking. I’d done a Europe trip before, so I thought, “That’s what Contiki is.” I didn’t think of them for anywhere else. Africa wasn’t something I’d ever link with Contiki.
B&T: So Africa was always a dream destination, but not through Contiki?
E: Exactly. I always wanted to go, but I thought I couldn’t afford it, or that I was too young. Like it was a trip you’d do with parents later in life. Contiki suddenly made it feel possible.
B&T: How much did ‘Live the Legend’ change that perception?
E: A lot. Once I started actually looking into Contiki, I saw it wasn’t just buses in Europe. The campaign showed trips in Indonesia, Borneo, island hopping, jungle adventures—it looked adventurous and really curated. I still didn’t know what to expect from Africa, but it got me excited.
B&T: And when you got there? Did it deliver?
E: Honestly, it was better. I went in thinking I’d be happy if I saw one giraffe. But every day across South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia was packed with activities. And they weren’t just tourist activities—they had purpose. Everything tied into that Make Travel Matter idea: things that supported the local community or environment.
B&T: Group travel can be intimidating, especially solo. How was your experience?
E: I was nervous. That first night in the hotel lobby, I thought, “What if I don’t like anyone?” But by day two, I already had four new best friends. By the end, we were crying saying goodbye. The group was mostly 20-somethings, which was perfect.
B&T: So the stereotype of Contiki being just for party kids or retirees didn’t hold?
E: Not at all. On other safaris I saw groups of retirees, but Contiki was young, social and fun. It felt like the right crowd.
B&T: Immersion is the word every marketer loves right now. Did your trip feel immersive?
E: Completely. We went bungee jumping at Victoria Falls, did cooking classes in Cape Town, and the safaris were incredible. Sometimes even the drives to camp were part of the safari—you’d be spotting elephants and lions along the way.
B&T: That cooking class sounds memorable.
E: It was wild. The only rule was “drink with one hand, stir with the other.” We cooked traditional African food such as biryani, lime fish and spiced lamb, and then sat down and demolished the delicious dishes as a group. It was chaotic but fun, and it bonded us straight away.
B&T: Tell me about your trip manager.
E: He was amazing. At first, really professional, but as he got to know us he relaxed and became like a friend. He knew everything about the wildlife, culture, history—you name it. And he had fun with us too. We’d sing Taylor Swift songs to “manifest” animal sightings. One day after singing, we saw a pride of lions.
B&T: So he shaped the trip?
E: Definitely. We all loved him!
B&T: You’re a content creator. How much of the trip felt shareable?
E: All of it. I took 10,000 photos and thousands of videos. But what I loved was our trip manager encouraged us to actually live in the moment. We used this “photo circle” app, so one person would shoot and share, and the rest of us could put our phones down. It meant we weren’t all scrambling for the same shot—we could just experience it.
B&T: Contiki is also positioning itself as a brand young people might want to work for. Based on your trip, would you consider it?
E: Absolutely. The culture felt so genuine. The trip managers are passionate, the itineraries are thoughtful—it felt like more than a company. I actually thought: “I’d love to work here.”
B&T: Final question. What’s your advice for Contiki when it comes to Gen Z?
E: Keep pushing ‘Live the Legend’, but showcase more than Europe. My friends don’t realise Contiki runs in Africa, Asia, South America. And show the flexibility—you can join group activities or do your own thing. That freedom is huge for us. Keep an open mind. You’ll be surprised by how good it is.
