Cricket World Cup drives up accommodation bookings, room tariffs in host cities

The upcoming cricket World Cup is driving up bookings for accommodation in host cities, specially where India is slated to play, thereby pushing up room tariffs, according to travel and hospitality players.

Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Dharamshala are among the cities which have witnessed a surge in demand, as per booking trends of MakeMyTrip, OYO and Yatra Online.

"Bookings for accommodation facilities, including hotels and homestays, in all cities where the Indian cricket team is slated to play, are now exhibiting a significant uptrend", MakeMyTrip Co-founder and Group CEO Rajesh Magow said.

Match-day bookings in Ahmedabad continue to be on an uptick, with a 200 per cent increase in accommodation bookings, including hotel and homestays, over the city's average daily room night bookings in August 2023, he added.

Similarly, Magow said, 'Reservations in Dharamshala on the match date have escalated by an astounding 605 per cent above the on platform daily average in August 2023.

"Meanwhile, bookings for India match dates in Lucknow have increased 50 per cent for the same comparative and are poised to grow alongside other centers as we move closer to match dates".

When contacted, an OYO spokesperson said, "We are experiencing a more than usual surge in demand in the host cities, specifically Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, and Kolkata, where occupancy rates exceed 60 per cent".

Notably, the OYO spokesperson further said, "Ahmedabad stands out with a staggering 777 per cent increase in bookings for October and November following the announcement of the World Cup schedule".

The first match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will be played at Ahmedabad between defending champions England and New Zealand on October 5.

The city will also host the high-profile India vs Pakistan match on October 14. The final of the tournament will also be played in the city on November 19.

Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Delhi have also seen substantial surges of 102 per cent, 81 per cent, and 39 per cent, respectively, the OYO spokesperson said, adding, "The rise in demand is directed more towards our mid-premium to premium hotels".

OYO has introduced 500 new hotels across all the host cities, strategically located near the stadiums for convenient access for all attendees to meet this increased demand.

Yatra Online Senior VP – Flights and Hotel Business, Bharatt Malik said, "The demand for accommodation has reached unprecedented levels, resulting in soaring room rates. In addition, airfares to the key destinations hosting the matches have experienced a significant increase".

On the match dates, airfares have risen by 2-3 times, while the rates for 4/5-star hotels have surged by 10-15 times, he said.

"Even 3-star and lower-category hotels have witnessed a doubling in their room rates. The cricket fever has truly taken hold, as we observe a remarkable double-digit growth in all the cities surrounding the World Cup venues", Malik said, adding queries and growing interest in flight bookings are continuing.

Currently, he said for flights, "we have witnessed a surge of 15 to 20 per cent. For hotels, cities, where India is playing, have seen greater growth compared to non-India matches".

"Ahmedabad has seen a jump of 80 to 90 per cent. This is due to the India – Pakistan match scheduled there and the relatively smaller inventory compared to bigger cities. Delhi hotels have witnessed a jump of 25 to 30 per cent".

Magow of MakeMyTrip said homestays, traditionally favored in leisure destinations, are currently enjoying strong interest across all cities hosting matches.

"To supplement the surge in homestays demand, we have strengthened our supply across all match venues, with a specific focus on Ahmedabad, where we have increased inventory by 31 per  cent, followed by Dharamshala (15 per cent) and Lucknow (14 per cent)", he added.