NEW YORK - Tourism in the Caribbean stands to benefit significantly from the International Cricket Council World Cup West Indies 2007. Rawle Brancker, chairman of the 2007 World Cup board, has reiterated to Caribbean tourism planners there is no other event that will provide the Caribbean with the kind of exposure the region will get from the event. "We estimate the World Cup will be viewed everyday for two months by 1.5 to 2 billion people around the world," Brancker told reporters attending a news conference following Caribbean Week hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization. "We could not pay for this kind of exposure. We are hoping that in the break between the two innings in the matches that rather than the respective countries watching going back to their respective stations, we are hoping to develop Caribbean promotional videos to play during that time. "We want to have programmes on the screen during the break time promoting the country in which the match is being contested and the Caribbean as whole. When this is done, I do not think we have begun to understand the economic benefit that is going to accrue for our tourism industry from this World Cup." Brancker believes the Caribbean's position as a tourist destination will help to make the 2007 World Cup more appealing to would-be spectators. "What is going to make our World Cup better is that 'tourism is our business' and it's the locomotive that drives the economies of our countries," Brancker remarked. "We live in an area that is now considered a safe, desirable area for cruise tourism and long-stay tourism." The former Barbados all-rounder added: "When you take that area, in my estimation, and marry with the biggest cricket event ever, with a cultural mix that is probably unsurpassed anywhere else in the world, and with the kitchens that exist across the region, I think we have a package of which the world will be in awe. "Our mandate is to plan and deliver 'the best World Cup ever' and I think we are well on the way to doing this having recognised all of the factors and are planning with all this in mind." The venue assessment team for the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007, along with International Cricket Council and Cricket World Cup 2007 officials, commenced the second phase of their venue verification tour of countries bidding to host matches in the event on Monday. The venue assessment team, which comprises world games experts in various disciplines are visiting Lauderhill in Broward County in the United States from June 7 to 8, Antigua & Barbuda from June 8 to 9, St. Kitts/Nevis from June 9 to 10, Jamaica from June 10 to 11, and conclude with Bermuda from June 11 to 12. The touring party visited St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, and Barbados on the first leg of the venue verification tour from May 24 to 29. On June 24, the venue assessment team will present their technical report to the CWC 2007 board, who will make the decision on the venues and award of matches which will then go to the ICC for approval. The ICC will announce the venues that will host matches on July 4, while the award of matches will be revealed during a "live" simultaneous television and radio broadcast on July 13. SOURCE: WINDIESCRICKET.COM