Conservation and community development: the Conservation Corporation Africa model.

The realities of operating in any rural area in the world make it imperative for tourism operators to consider the local communities and their requirements as a priority for sustainable development. Impoverished communities often surround conservation areas and it is crucial to integrate the needs of the local people with overall conservation and development objectives. Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa) practiced this approach to sustainable ecotourism for 13 years. This chapter examines the benefits and potential pitfalls of the CC Africa ecotourism model and concentrates on the community development component of lodge planning and management. Two case studies are presented. Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa, the first case study, demonstrates the benefits local communities can experience with private sector conservation and tourism. The second example, Klein's Camp, one of CC Africa's Tanzanian properties, illustrates how communal land can work synergistically with and contribute to Serengeti National Park, a national park and World Heritage Site. CC Africa's wider operations in Tanzania are also examined.