After realizing the huge amounts they would have lost hotels in Zimbabwe have made a sharp u-turn and are now reconsidering their pricing after a deal offered by Fifa for occupation of 80% of the country’s hotel rooms flopped.
Hotels where demanding what was described s “ridiculous pricing demands” of up to US3000 per night yet a presentt an average room at a five star hotel at the resor town of Victoria Falls is less than US$150 per night.
This led to Fifa turning its back on Zimbabwe and signing a deal with Botswana.
Today, the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe president Lewis Chasakara said the new prices would be nowhere near US1000 saying that the Match Events – the official Fifa accommodation company – had met junior officials instead of having a meeting at corporate level.
“Yes, the guys from Match Events came through but met our guys at grassroots and they wanted 80% of our rooms.
“They should have met us at corporate level and we would have given them reasonable figures because we are reasonable people,” Chasakara said.
He added that Fifa’s deal with Botswana was “a marketing gimmick meant to put pressure on us… Botswana has no rooms”.
New Zealand, which had indicated that is want to camp in Zimbabwe for this Fifa Confederation Cup has moved to Botswana.
The earlier move by the hotel industry might also scare away Britain, Brazil and Nigeria from campng in the country.
The 2010 World Cup set to be hosted by South Africa is set to create a lot of opportunities for the country with the tourism sector expected to benefit from the influx of tourists coming to Southern Africa region for the soccer show case.
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