Qunu - A bed and breakfast that will open its doors in Qunu on Thursday is charging R1500 a night for a room with a single bed.
A room with two beds will set visitors back R2000 a night. The establishment, which has six rooms, is within walking distance of former president Nelson Mandela's homestead.
The manager, who declined to give her name, would not reveal whether the prices would change after Mandela's funeral on Sunday.
Three of the rooms had been booked from Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Board called on residents to price their accommodation reasonably.
“Although we cannot dictate the pricing, we encourage the citizens of the Eastern Cape to set their prices within reason,” CEO Luxolo Rubeshe said.
He said the locals should treat visitors with dignity and respect to ensure they were satisfied with their experience of the province.
“The Eastern Cape is famous for ubuntu of its people. Now is the time to show this to the rest of the world.”
He said complaints had been received about locals charging exorbitant prices for the use of their houses. In one instance, a person was charging over R8000 a room per night, he said.
Accommodation in Mthatha was said to be 96 percent full, forcing scores of media people to rent houses in the surrounding villages.
Eddie Marafane, the executive director of Destination Tourism in the province, encouraged locals to open their homes.
“We are requesting that the home owners in the area who are able and willing to share their homes with our visitors to register with the tourism board,” he said.
Sapa