Benjamin Cohen, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Accor Management Board, and Bernard Lapasset, President of the French Federation of Rugby…
Benjamin Cohen, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Accor Management Board, and Bernard Lapasset, President of the French Federation of Rugby, representing the Organising Committee of the sixth Rugby World Cup to be held in 2007, today signed a partnership agreement. The deal creates Mondiresa, a central hotel and travel booking system for the Rugby World Cup France 2007 that is designed to meet the event`s accommodation needs.
The Rugby World Cup France 2007 will be held from September 7 to October 20, 2007. Roughly 2.5 million spectators are expected to attend the 48 matches that will be played in 12 stadiums. Ten sites in France will be used, in Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.
The Organising Committee has contracted with Accor to design and manage the booking system. An agreement is being finalized with Rugby World Cup Ltd that will allow the system to be designated official.
Backed by its experience acquired during the FIFA World Cup 1998, Mondiresa federates France`s major hotel operators, both chains and independents. The central booking network is comprised of 450 hotels, from two to four stars. The range of the hotel offering for this major sporting event is intended to cover the needs of all participants-teams, officials, sponsors, journalists and spectators.
The hotels were chosen by Mondiresa according to criteria such as:
- Location near the stadium or the center of cities where the matches will be held.
- A large number of available rooms-up to 80% of hotel capacity on match days.
- Quality.
- Compliance with negotiated prices.
To date, 25,000 rooms per match-day have been pre-booked in France.
Hotels affiliated with the Mondiresa network will be listed in a guide and some of them will be marketed on the Organising Committee`s website, www.france2007.fr
The Mondiresa booking service will be available for tour operators and special-event agencies certified by Rugby World Cup 2007 beginning in October 2005 and for the general public in 2006. Dedicated telephone numbers will be provided.
Mondiresa:
- Offers customers services that are guaranteed as soon as they book, at set prices, with a range of hotels suitable for different kinds of stays.
- Guarantees price and payment terms to hotel operators and optimizes revenue per room at times when demand is generally weaker. 80% of the matches will be held on weekends.
Mondiresa provides powerful support to help us meet our major objectives, said Bernard Lapasset, President of the French Federation of Rugby. We want to ensure that rugby fans from around the world who attend this World Cup will have an unforgettable experience.
Accor supported the French Federation of Rugby`s bid to organize the Rugby World Cup in 2003, said Benjamin Cohen, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Accor Management Board. We`re proud and pleased to stand with them again today, leveraging our expertise to help make this major event a celebration, not just for rugby fans but for all sports lovers.
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