The Department of Tourism will conduct a survey into allegations that some accommodation providers are hiking prices for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said price hiking for accommodation during the World Cup could be harmful to the reputation of the country's tourism industry.

He said these allegations must be investigated and the results made public. 

The auditing and management consulting firm, Grant Thornton, has been commissioned to conduct the survey, which is expected to be completed in three weeks. 

"We have requested them to benchmark South African accommodation prices against those of other nations that previously hosted the FIFA World Cup.” 

"South Africa is a value-for-money destination, and this reputation should be safeguarded. Price hiking could damage the reputation of our tourism industry," van Schalkwyk said.

He said the department noted that in many cases where very high prices were cited, these prices were for private apartments and houses that were being rented out to individuals or groups, often in some of the most high-end neighbourhoods in the country. 

"We believe this survey will assist us in getting to the bottom of the allegations." 

Source: BuaNews 

Cape Town - Jaime Byron the executive chairman of FIFA's accommodation provider MATCH, said he was far more "comfortable" now than he had been before with the country's accommodation inventory.

Match had contracted more than 48 000 of the total rooms, which is near to its target of 55 000 rooms.

These rooms would be used to accommodate FIFA guests such as key sponsors and dignitaries.

Byron said 12 000 operators or 15 percent of all MATCH establishments are small enterprises, which surpassed FIFA's target to utilise 10 000 small providers.

He acknowledged that though there was a shortage of MATCH accommodation in some host cities, he didn't see this as a problem, adding that host cities in previous World Cups had also experienced a shortage of accommodation.

Byron noted that South Africans were now taking more interest in the World Cup with 70 percent of all applicants in the 72 hours since the latest ticketing stage began on Saturday being locals.

FIFA would also open ticketing centres in each of the host cities on 15 April, while MATCH would operate a last-minute sales call centre from the same month next year.

MATCH would also contract the equivalent of 50 000 return air seats between South African Airways (SAA) and Comair, he said.