Tour firm promotes free books contest

Travel specialist Contiki is easing the back-to-school burden of young adventurers with a free books contest. Specializing in trips for the 18-35 set, Contiki says the competition is open to anyone booking one of its excursions before the end of November. Contestants will automatically be entered to win their second-semester books for free, the company said. Details are at contiki. com/ca/en/book4books. Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by Hostelworld revealed over a third of employers would consider offering a higher salary to those who had overseas study experience. The poll found 41 per cent of employers value the cultural awareness and adaptability of workers who had spent time abroad. “College students are under immense pressure to maintain good grades, have internship experience and participate in extracurriculars,” Hostelworld spokesman Stuart Priddy said. But studying abroad gives candidates a global perspective and is “proven to make them more employable down the road.”