FIFA look to stem the great hotel rip-off

Saturday, 14 Dec, 2005 0

FIFA, world football’s governing body, has insisted it will do everything it can to prevent England football fans being fleeced by hotels during next summer’s World Cup.

But Thomas Edelkamp, director of FIFA accommodation services, said it was powerless to control every property in the country.

FIFA’s reassurance came as hotels.com reported a massive hike in rates within hours of the draw being made.

Hotels in Frankfurt – the venue for England’s first match against Paraguay – have increased prices by a staggering 134%. In Cologne, where England play Sweden, room rates have rocketed 38.5% while prices in Berlin and Hamburg have soared 55% and 127% respectively.

Speaking to TravelMole at a reception to kick-start the German Tourist Board’s promotional drive in the UK, Edelkamp said efforts have been made to ensure fans are not ripped off.

“We have around 550 hotels in the FIFA accommodation scheme, which is a significant number of properties, and each one has only been allowed to increase its rates by 2% year-on-year since 2003,” he said. “Of course we cannot control what other hoteliers do but we believe the majority will look at the long term picture and realise it will not be good for Germany to raise prices too much.”

He admitted however it was inevitable some would exploit the event.

Edelkamp added that the German transport infrastructure enabled fans struggling to find accommodation to stay in nearby cities, where rates may not be so high, and travel to matches on the day of the game.

Meanwhile, FA director of football development and former West Ham United legend Trevor Brooking told TravelMole it was hoping to increase the allocation of tickets for England supporters, 100,000 of whom are expected to travel to Germany.

“We are hoping that if our opponents in the group stage do not sell their full allocation we will receive a few more tickets,” he said.

Each participating country only recieve a scandalous 8% of available tickets for each game.

Report by Steve Jones