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Accommodation shortages expected in 2011

Monday, December 14 The first whispered rumours of an accomodation shortage in New Zealand during the 2011 Rugby World Cup have begun to surface with some experts warning that beds could be hard to find during the tournament in just under two year's time.

Home owners in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington are preparing to rent out spare rooms to help alleviate the accomodation shortfall.

"If you look at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch from the quarterfinals onwards, on the key dates around big matches, there will definitely be a shortage of accommodation,"  James Parkinson, a director of hleisure consultancy company Horwath HTL, told the Scotsman website.

"Because we are such a small country, it's quite conceivable we'd be flying people out from the main centres following a game and dispersing the accommodation requirements that way," he said.

"You could easily have people flying from Auckland to Rotorua and using the accommodation stock there.

"There will invariably be the use of private homes, whether it's homestay or renting out the whole house, but I suspect it's likely to be the last cab off the rank when it comes to accommodation."

An extra 6000 beds are set to be provided by cruise liners berthed in Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton for the duration of the tournament where they will operate as floating hotels.

CEO of Rugby New Zealand 2011, Martin Snedden, said that homestay arrangements might be the only way for New Zealand to cope during the accomodation shortfall.

"Where the risk arises is during the last 17 days.  One of the issues that people interested in doing this are going to have to address at the very beginning is whether or not they charge."  he said.

The rugby mad New Zealand public might be asked to put up rugby fans free of charge during the tournament.

"I think it would send a fantastic message to the world if a feature of home hosting was that there was no charge involved.

"It's not an opportunity for profiteering."

With thanks to the Scotsman

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