ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. has expressed its gratitude to CARICOM and the nine regional governments for their continued "cooperation and solidarity" in preparations for next year's tournament according to a release issued yesterday.

Writing in the December 2006 edition of 'Pitch' - the CWC monthly newsletter - ICC CWC 2007 Managing Director & CEO, Chris Dehring, has saluted CARICOM's invaluable contribu-tion with the drafting of the ICC CWC 2007 Act (creating the legal framework for the tournament) which has now been passed in the host venues and, secondly, with the establishment of a CARICOM Special Visa. The latter will allow visitors to travel throughout the nine tournament territories and Dominica with one visa.

Cricket spirit

"The spirit of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 continues to spread far and wide, and various sectors within the Caribbean are getting on board to ensure that the CWC 2007 spectator experience is second to none," he noted, highlighting the special regional arrangements which will apply.

"To ensure ease of travel at tournament time, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will treat the nine host venues (and Dominica) as a single domestic space from January 15 to May 15, 2007."

ICC CWC 2007 Senior Legal Counsel, Derek Jones, has also applauded the work done in smoothing the regional immigration process during CWC 2007.

"This should alleviate the snags which tourists sometimes experience as they traverse Caribbean countries which usually have separate and distinct immigration regulations.

"CWC is very pleased that the CARICOM Special Visa has come to fruition and will continue to liaise with and offer any cooperation necessary to CARICOM and regional governments to ensure that this mechanism functions as intended," he said.

Noting that CWC HQ has been inundated with queries about the CARICOM Special Visa, Jones reminded that, while it is being put in place because of the tournament, all information about the visa - for example, who it applies to and what the application requirements are - should be directed to CARICOM or the organisation's designated officials.

Persons requiring a CARICOM Special Visa can sign up online from Friday December 15, 2006, on www.caricomimpacs.org or www.caricom.org.