Wilderness Collection will conclude its operating and marketing contract for Odzala Wilderness Camps in the Republic of Congo, effective April 26. The decision was reached in an amicable agreement between all parties, it said in a statement.
Feedback from guests and trade partners who were privileged to visit Odzala encouragingly show that it is possible to attract the more adventurous safari-goers to the more remote parts of Africa. This feedback notwithstanding, all parties have mutually decided that the high-end, fly-in model may not necessarily be the right one for the location at this time.
“We would like to thank our partners for having given us the privileged opportunity to be a part of this pioneering project and we remain on hand to lend support whenever required,” says CEO, Keith Vincent. “We trust that all of our travel partners who have seen and supported the two camps there – and know first-hand its fantastic potential – will continue to promote the region.”
CEO of the Congo Conservation Company, Dr Paul Telfer, acknowledged the role played by Wilderness right from the very beginning of the project, thanking the company for “the contribution of not only a formidable and credible ecotourism brand, but also 30 years of experience in developing, operating and promoting remote African destinations. Without their vision and expertise we would not have been able to bring Odzala to the point at which it is now as soon as we have, and wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
“Entering into a public-private partnership with the Congo Conservation Company back in 2010 was a major milestone and a pioneering project for Wilderness, says Vincent. “It was the first time we extended and adapted our successful savannah, desert and coastal ecotourism model to the exciting environment of the lowland rainforest – in this case the pristine Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Congo Basin.”
Over the past five years, Odzala Wilderness Camps has created hospitality training and employment for as many as 50 local people and, through funds from the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, continues to help in the training of local gorilla trackers. Great strides have been made in terms of raising the profile of the destination and its vital role in terms of Africa’s natural heritage, with the Lonely Planet naming it as its sixth top country to visit in 2015.
