It is rightly said that cricket is a religion in India. And when it comes celebrating the biggest festival of the religion, in this case the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, money would never be a barrier. For one, we all know how air ticket prices and hotel bookings soared for Ahmedabad, once the schedule of the World Cup was announced, but interestingly, it is the overall tourism industry that is reaping benefits from the World Cup, which commences from October 5, 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
India is set to welcome a massive influx of tourists as it hosts the highly anticipated mega event. Nonetheless, the cricketing spectacle is proving to be a major game-changer for India’s tourism industry, offering visitors a unique blend of sporting excitement and cultural exploration.
The World Cup fever has begun to grip the country with reports suggesting that match ticket prices are skyrocketing in the black market. As cricket fans continue to book flights, hotels, and match tickets, Daniel D’Souza, President and Country Head for Holidays, SOTC Travel told CNBCTV18.com, “India has always been a cricket loving nation and despite increased airfares and hotel rates, we are witnessing over 100 percent surge in demand for travel among cricket enthusiasts across segments for the upcoming October-November period.”
Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) Limited told CNBCTV18.com, “What is noteworthy is the strong continuum in demand beyond the traditional peak summer season – with a strong uptick during the festive season driven by the cricket bonanza that has put the spotlight on domestic destinations.”
“We have witnessed an 80-100 percent surge in demand for the months of October-November compared to last year and this is not just from our leisure segment of cricket aficionados, but corporate MICE. To catalyse demand, we have created unique hub and spoke programs – offering popular locales and experiences in and around match destinations. India is a cricket-crazy nation, and our data reflects high demand across segments of multigenerational families, millennials, Gen Z and couples and corporates.”
He added, “Despite the 4x surge in tariffs for hotels compared to the current rates, our trends reveal strong appetite especially for the final and semifinals at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata; followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamshala, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Pune.”
Source : CNBCTV18
