CC Africa Targets India Market

Krisia Appointed Preferred Agent

Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai

Leading African safari operator, Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa) is actively marketing its 38 wildlife lodges and mobile safaris to the Indian market in light of heightened interest in the African continent, specifically South Africa. The move comes close on the heels of CC Africa's joint venture with Taj Hotels and Resorts last year to set up a number of wildlife lodges across India. CC Africa has appointed Krisia Holidays as its preferred agent in India. On the occasion of the Indian launch, the company flew down former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes on a roadshow that covered Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi and Ahmedabad.

CC Africa CEO Steve Fitzgerald, outlining his strategy to tap and subsequently grow the Indian market, said, "India was a significant market that we didn't look at in the past. It is now one that is hard to ignore. There have been several international tourism board openings in the last few years and from a CC Africa point of view, we will now tap this market in earnest through the Indian travel trade and media. Our offering is unique in a way, owing to a three-way relationship that we have between ourselves, the community and the wildlife. That is something that our tourists appreciate."

CC Africa has a combination in jungle lodges in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The average packages range from USD 300 to 1000. Krisia Holidays director Namrata Dalwani said, "CC Africa had been looking to enter the Indian market for sometime now and were looking for partners they could work with to identify their niche audience. Krisia Holidays has been specialising in the high end FIT market for a long time -- one that CC Africa is keen to target. We recognise word of mouth as the key to marketing the CC Africa experience. The profile of the clientele we are targetting is fairly clear and we service a lot of these who are seeking new and premium holidays. Our partnership has been borne of the fact that we are an FIT specialist and that is segment of tourists who vacation at a CC Africa lodges."

Fitzgerald adds, "What sets CC Africa apart is that we understand that the safari is the highlight. We concentrate on the guest experience. The tour operators are a very important link in our business. We will be positioning some products for the Indian market. We believe that there is huge potential for the family market so we will look at Ngala, Phinda and a lodge near Sun City."