ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. Managing Director & CEO, Chris Dehring, says recent news of record-breaking tourist arrivals in Jamaica is a great sign ahead of the tournament and an example of what the Caribbean is capable of achieving.

Reacting to reports that three million persons visited that island last year – 1.68 million stop-over passengers and 1.33 million cruise passengers – he noted that if one of the countries hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup has the capacity and ability to handle this much traffic in a year, it bodes well for the region.

“It’s a significant jump for Jamaica’s tourism over 2005 and it shows that clearly there’s a lot of confidence in that sector. There are countless places where people can choose to vacation and the fact that Jamaica’s tourism figures continue to rise is a firm indicator that the country – and indeed the wider Caribbean – continues to be a destination of choice for people worldwide,” noted Dehring.

“Other Caribbean nations, including Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados (which recorded 560,000 stop-over visitors in 2005) and Saint Lucia, have strong tourism products and infrastructure and – with the Cricket World Cup added to the mix – these countries are even more attractive as vacation spots.”

As the countdown gathers pace towards ICC CWC 2007 which starts with Warm-up matches on March 5, he added that Host Venues need to brace themselves for the thousands who will descend on the region, eager to experience the trademark excitement for which the tropical archipelago is famed.

“Of course, a lot of people are coming for the cricket but a lot are also coming for the party of a lifetime which they expect with such an event taking place in the Caribbean. These memories will be indelible and we must ensure that we make them as unforgettable as possible – priceless even,” declared Dehring, adding that the knock-on effect of a sensational Cricket World Cup would be a fillip to the Caribbean’s tourism product for years to come.