KINGSTON (CMC):
ORGANISERS OF the 2007 ICC World Cup in the West Indies have denied statements that regional hoteliers have been asked to charge modest room rates for the event.
The Gleaner reported on Friday that regional hoteliers had been asked to accept US$80 to US$100 to reserve five-star rooms which are valued at three to four times that amount.
"It is completely untrue to suggest that the Cricket Logistics which is acting for the 2007 ICC World Cup in contracting the hotel rooms we need for the event has been seeking greatly-reduced room rates," remarked Stephen Price, senior project officer commercial for 2007 World Cup, in a news release.
MEASLY AMOUNT
The story referred to the fact that the 2007 World Cup coincides with the winter season in which Caribbean hoteliers charge higher rates, and stated the hoteliers are not prepared to accept the 'measly amount' being offered for their rooms by organisers.
Price noted that organisers had agreed with the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) on price guidelines and these were communicated to the latter's membership last month.
"In fact, the CHA wrote its members on September 30, this year, outlining what they felt would be a fair pricing policy for hotel accommodations during the World Cup," he said.
"Since then, we have been working in partnership with CHA, and the hotel and tourism associations of the nine host venues and other interested parties to ensure the necessary numbers of rooms are reserved in each host venue territory.
LUDICROUS
"Hoteliers are in business to make money, so there's no way we could even consider doing what this article has claimed. You only have to think about what is being suggested to realise how ludicrous it is."
Price outlined that the letter circulated by the CHA to its members last month recommended, as a guideline, an increase of 15 per cent over the price charged in March this year.
"We are working very hard with the regional hotel and tourist sectors to ensure there are as many rooms as possible reserved for the World Cup, and having erroneous information like this being vented in public is unfortunate," Price said.
Matches in the 2007 World Cup will be hosted in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
