'SA has enough hotel rooms for 2010 visitors'

South Africa has enough hotel rooms for the football fans expected to descend on the country for the 2010 World Cup, tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Tuesday.

“The more than 202 000 rooms countrywide should make ample provision for the 450 000 visitors we are expecting,” Van Schalkwyk said, announcing the results of a national accommodation audit.

The announcement aims to allay fears over a shortage of accommodation for visitors attending the world’s biggest sporting tournament, running June 11 to July 11.

Van Schalkwyk said the audit by his department found at least 100,000 rooms in the nine host cities within a 50 kilometre radius of stadiums.

Despite the audit, concerns remain over accommodation in smaller host cities like Nelspruit and Polokwane, where authorities are working on plans to shuttle fans to the stadiums from other cities.—AFP