With 10 days to go before Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007, several hotels, especially those on the north coast, are still not booked out for the weeks during the staging of the event in the island.

While most hotels in the Corporate Area are reporting full occupancy levels for March, resorts on the north coast are hoping that bookings will increase.

Horace Peterkin, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, said bookings picked up for the first two weeks of February.

However, Peterkin could not say if hotel bookings for March would be better.

"I do not see that overwhelming demand (for Cricket World Cup) where all the hotels will be booked out and cruise ships will have to dock at our ports providing accommodations," said Mr. Peterkin.

Several celebrations

Trelawny, Montego Bay and their environs are expected to be abuzz on the weekend of March 9 to the 11. Several celebrations, such as Brand Trelawny, are planned for that weekend, which will see the opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup to be held on the 11th at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.

- S.T.