African eco-safari operator to promote India

Jonty Rhodes made international headlines when he dived to hit the stumps and run out Pakistan batsman Inzamam ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup. Since then that picture of Rhodes suspended in mid-air has remained etched in the minds of many a cricket fan.

Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa), the continent's leading eco-safari operator, wants to use the magnetism of the Jonty Rhodes to attract Indians to their eco-safari offerings by making him CC Africa's ambassador to India.

"Our basic objective is to promote India as an eco-tourism destination. The infrastructure for conducting our camps is in place with the Taj Group already having the infrastructure," said Steve Fitzgerald, CEO, CC Africa, announcing the joint venture between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and CC Africa.

"We want to bring our expertise to India to offer packages of similar quality to those we offer in Africa. Twenty tourist bureaux (from all over the world) opened in India in the last eight months and this is testimony to the potential of the Indian market and hence we are investing here. We plan to invest $6 million in India," Fitzgerald added.

CC Africa has 36 lodges in Africa's 'wilderness high spots'. It conducts camps, guided mobile expeditions, walking and specialist safaris. It also conducts comprehensive tours from Nairobi, in Kenya, to Cape Town, South Africa. It has operations across six countries in Africa.

Fitzgerald believes that Indian policies and conservation efforts are too tiger-centric. There are many more animals "" leopards, bears and many other species. A holistic approach at conserving all species alone will help in conserving wildlife. This is where eco-tourism and eco-safari can play a major role, he added.

"Our trump card will be involving the locals in eco-tourism because their exclusion will not help CC Africa succeed in its endeavours," says Fitzgerald.

Employing as many locals in as many jobs as possible will be the aim of CC Africa to help improve the financial conditions and development of the backward regions.