less confident than a while back: also wondering if I shouldn't drop tariffs

Match send us a email to say the release all of the accommodation and that we NOW have no more a contract with
most of the Guest Houses in Knysna

Just a sugestion to establishments without bookings. Offer more to the people, like breakfast and dinner and maybe widescreen available. Most off the people coming don't know the country so well and will be very depending on their hosts.
The more you offer the more feedback you will get. It is only for 37 days, after that you can take a small rest. Hope your beds will be full.

We have been running as a guesthouse with 12 rooms for 14 years now and had learned thru the previous high demand, low supply times (such as the rugby world cup or major international conferences) that we should not increase our rates too high as it will not bring in future business. The Fifa Soccer World Cup is a chance for major advertising on how attractive and varied South Africa is, and what it has to offer on a reasonable budget, to the international forum. With the airlines hugely increasing their flight prices and accommodation trying to make a quick buck by increasing their prices beyond peak rate amounts, this is not encouraging the people to come. We should use the example of the Olympic games in Spain, where everyone charged realistic prices in every service provided. After the games, that country has seen huge increases in visitors annually and is now hosting many more events because of the good feedback they got from the guests who first went there for the games. Like any investment... we should plan for the long-term future and then we can all benefit, whether it will be monetory, more jobs, better service, safety and security and a fantastic positive reputation.

Knysna is very fortunate hosting two teams during the world cup. Due to the fact that media and technical support follows the teams closely a lot of graded accommodation has been sourced. A great pity that the Matchville concept was promised but not delivered. Properties that have hiked their rates out of all proportion may really suffer.

MATCH has allocated us 30 bednights from 13-28 June - our original contract was till 29 June. Many other establishments in Plettenberg Bay have had all their bednights released. {Was it because my rates are very reasonable?]
Our Plett Guest Accommodation Association will be going all out to promote our members' establishments. We hope to attract French and Danish visitors especially, as their teams will be based nearby.

we must keep our rates affordable and be positive

I do not understand why accommodation is getting the blame for the bad ticket sales, look at the crime, bad reputation of Africa as a whole and the recession. Yes we dit put our prices up, it is standard worldwide and people know that. On our trip to Singapore accommodation was R600 a night one weekend and R2000 the next with the Grand Prix. Same when trying to go to the Rio Carnival, prices are higher and I would certainly not expect cheap accommodation anywhere during huge events. In Durban our rates were put up by 500% 2 years ago to cover the cost of the new stadium. As guest houses we are getting a rebate now but we fought for it for 18 months, still our randage is the highest in the country so we are going to pay for years to come for this stadium so just fair we try and make a bit of money during the world cup. We are not ripping people off (have not even double the rate - tripling the rate is unacceptable I think). At this stage we are more than 50% full.