WESTERN BUREAU - Caribbean countries stand to earn $36.6 billion (US$600 million) over the next three years from the staging of World Cup Cricket, according to organisers of the event that will get underway with an opening ceremony in Jamaica in 2007. "According to a report that was done for us, the Cricket World Cup has an immediate economic impact of around US$600 million between now and 2007," said Don Lockerbie, the event's venue development director. "That's a very large event and as far as we are told will make it the single largest event in the history of the Caribbean." He was speaking during one of the final sessions of the Educational Symposium and Green Tourism Conference that ended in Montego Bay on Saturday. Lockerbie challenged tourism players to be ready to take advantage of the business opportunities which, he anticipates, will continue long after the games are over. "Tourism will be at an all-time high because of this event, which can also have a lasting legacy of sustainable tourism," he pointed out. "By the time the West Indies Cricket Board is finished with the Cricket World Cup of eight new stadiums, essentially we have another 30 years to utilise these venues to bring in all type of events - not just cricket. So the real legacy here is to develop a winning combination of helping the tourism industry," he urged. While he expressed confidence that the combination of hotel rooms, cruise ships and bed and breakfasts would provide enough accommodation, Lockerbie stressed that there was still a lot of work to be done. His team had the experience to pull it off, he reassured. "We are working with consultants who actually have done this before. Again, the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, this was the solution that was done. We have opportunities for the small and private person to, . in the future, develop bed and breakfast communities," he explained. A total of US$250 million will be spent to build eight new stadiums across the Caribbean in preparation for the games. Of this, regional governments will fork out a total of US$180 million. "To stage the event, the Cricket World Cup Organising Committee will have an expenditure of about US$70 million," Lockerbie noted. "To actually build all of the stadiums, the governments are going to put out a combined US$180 million. That's US$250 million just to build the stadiums and put on the event." But despite the organisers' optimism that the project is on track, president of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Berthia Parle expressed concern about the pace and availability of marketing opportunities. "For CHA, the Cricket World Cup 2007 is anticipated to provide excellent marketing opportunities for our tourism industry... only if our destinations are fully prepared," she said. "It is, however, only two-and-a-half years away and planning for the event is, regrettably, just gathering momentum in the region. SOURCE: JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM