Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Only 220 of the 500 targeted bed and breakfast accommodations are market ready for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC), according to Gerry McDaniel, director of corporate communications in the Ministry of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture.

Mr. McDaniel explained that only about half the rooms are ready because the Tourism Development Product Company (TPDCo) has to examine them before they are listed on website www.uniquejamaica.com. He noted that, by Friday, an additional 10 to 20 rooms would be ready.

Mr. McDaniel said the ministry had targeted 500 rooms, but received applications for some 600. Some of these may however be rejected when security checks are conducted.

Lucrative programme

He noted that the bed and breakfast programme was not only developed for CWC, but will be ongoing, noting that South Africa, which hosted the last World Cup, developed a similar programme which is now lucrative.

Bed and breakfast accommodations are available in private homes as well as self-contained cottages. Rooms are available in several parishes at a cost of US$96 (J$6,440) per night.

Applicants for the programme are required to have two reference letters, tax registration number, among other things. They are also required to participate in a 20-hour hospitality training course, which includes food handlers' procedures, fire prevention, customer service, security alertness and Jamaican history and culture. Some applicants graduated during a ceremony held last week.

Meanwhile Mr. McDaniel said some 80 taxi drivers, who will be transporting persons staying in bed and breakfast accommodations, have been trained in Jamaican history and culture. They will also be issued passes for red zone areas.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com