Hotel room rates and airfares to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, have surged ahead of the much-anticipated cricket World Cup final between India and Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium this Sunday. The feverish demand is not only from within India but also from international fans, including those from Dubai, Australia, and South Africa.
According to Narendra Somani, President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Gujarat, the excitement for the World Cup final is drawing people from all over. With 5,000 rooms in three and five-star hotels in Ahmedabad and a total of 10,000 in Gujarat, the accommodation crunch is real. The stadium’s capacity of over 1.20 lakh people is expected to attract 30,000 to 40,000 spectators from outside the city.
This surge in demand has caused hotel room rates to skyrocket. Top five-star hotels in Ahmedabad are quoting rates as high as Rs 2 lakh for the night of the match, while others have increased prices by five to seven times. The once nominal rates have now touched anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.25 lakh.
Narendra Somani noted that people tend to book flight tickets first, causing room prices to rise not only in Ahmedabad but also in surrounding towns as the match day approaches.
Online rates on various hotel booking sites for five-star hotels have reached around Rs 2 lakh per night. Even non-star hotels are capitalizing on the demand, increasing rates by five to seven times. For instance, Hotel Crown on C G Road, usually charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per night, has hiked its rate to over Rs 20,000.
During our search for hotel prices, we also checked out Makemytrip, an online travel company based in India. We found that the price for a stay at the Taj Skyline Ahmedabad on November 19th was approximately Rs. 2.5 lac, excluding taxes. However, the same hotel stay only costs around Rs. 11,000, excluding taxes, after the finals. Below, you can see a comparison of the prices.
Similarly, on the day of the World Cup, ITC Narmada charges around Rs 2 Lac for their rooms, while the same rooms cost about Rs 15,000 after the event. Check out other hotel prices here.
Simultaneously, airfares from various destinations to Ahmedabad have seen a drastic increase compared to normal rates. Flights from Chennai, typically around Rs 5,000, are now priced between Rs 16,000 and Rs 25,000.
There is a three to five times increase in airfares to Ahmedabad from almost all places due to high demand. Cricket fans, eager to witness India play in the finals on home turf, are willing to pay high prices for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.