India-Pakistan clash sparks Colombo travel frenzy
New Delhi: Die-hard cricket aficionados who bleed blue are scampering to lock in last-minute travel plans for Sunday’s India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash in Colombo as uncertainties over the match faded away, driving airfares and hotel tariffs sharply higher.
Demand surged after Pakistan reversed its boycott stance around February 9–10, triggering a spike in bookings, said travel industry executives.
Booking volumes for the February 12-16 period are up by about 22% compared to a normal February weekend, said Pickyourtrail cofounder Hari Ganapathy. A large share of the bookings was made in the past few days, highlighting strong last-minute demand “as fans adjust plans after the fixture was definitively reinstated”, he said.
Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at online travel portal Cleartrip, said flight bookings around the tournament window were up by more than 20% over the January baseline and compared with non-event periods, with Colombo emerging as a clear standout. “Bookings to the city have surged by nearly 65%, especially around the marquee fixture…the India-Pakistan match.”
Hotel bookings have grown more than 35%, with travellers preferring mid-budget and premium stays, she said.
Colombo is a short-haul destination and Indians do not need a visa to visit Sri Lanka, which make it easy to plan last-minute trips, Singhal said.
Airfare surges
Thomas Cook India pegged last-minute round-trip fares to Colombo to around ₹50,000 from Chennai and Cochin and ₹70,000 from Mumbai to ₹90,000-1,00,000 from Delhi. Hotels have also seen upward revision in prices around the match, particularly for centrally located and premium properties in the Sri Lankan capital, Thomas Cook India president Rajeev Kale said.
Outbound demand is strongest from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with Colombo being the primary beneficiary, and spill-over demand visible in Galle and Kandy, according to experts.
Extended Stay
Travel patterns show fans extending their stay beyond the match. About 12% of travellers are opting for two– to three-night quick breaks centred on the game, while over 20% are building extended holidays combining beach stays, nightlife and curated experiences, estimates Pickyourtrail.
SOTC Travel is seeing similar behaviour. Many Indians travelling to primarily watch the match are also extending the stay to nearby beach destinations and for other leisure experiences, SOTC Travel president SD Nandakumar said.
“India-Pakistan is one of the few matches that materially changes travel economics, even in a short window,” said Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Travel Operators. “This is more of a high-margin opportunity than a pure volume play. Pricing power increases sharply due to a short booking window, limited flight inventory, limited match tickets and high emotional demand.”
Demand surged after Pakistan reversed its boycott stance around February 9–10, triggering a spike in bookings, said travel industry executives.
Booking volumes for the February 12-16 period are up by about 22% compared to a normal February weekend, said Pickyourtrail cofounder Hari Ganapathy. A large share of the bookings was made in the past few days, highlighting strong last-minute demand “as fans adjust plans after the fixture was definitively reinstated”, he said.
Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at online travel portal Cleartrip, said flight bookings around the tournament window were up by more than 20% over the January baseline and compared with non-event periods, with Colombo emerging as a clear standout. “Bookings to the city have surged by nearly 65%, especially around the marquee fixture…the India-Pakistan match.”
Hotel bookings have grown more than 35%, with travellers preferring mid-budget and premium stays, she said.
Colombo is a short-haul destination and Indians do not need a visa to visit Sri Lanka, which make it easy to plan last-minute trips, Singhal said.
Airfare surges
Thomas Cook India pegged last-minute round-trip fares to Colombo to around ₹50,000 from Chennai and Cochin and ₹70,000 from Mumbai to ₹90,000-1,00,000 from Delhi. Hotels have also seen upward revision in prices around the match, particularly for centrally located and premium properties in the Sri Lankan capital, Thomas Cook India president Rajeev Kale said.
Outbound demand is strongest from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with Colombo being the primary beneficiary, and spill-over demand visible in Galle and Kandy, according to experts.
Extended Stay
Travel patterns show fans extending their stay beyond the match. About 12% of travellers are opting for two– to three-night quick breaks centred on the game, while over 20% are building extended holidays combining beach stays, nightlife and curated experiences, estimates Pickyourtrail.
SOTC Travel is seeing similar behaviour. Many Indians travelling to primarily watch the match are also extending the stay to nearby beach destinations and for other leisure experiences, SOTC Travel president SD Nandakumar said.
“India-Pakistan is one of the few matches that materially changes travel economics, even in a short window,” said Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Travel Operators. “This is more of a high-margin opportunity than a pure volume play. Pricing power increases sharply due to a short booking window, limited flight inventory, limited match tickets and high emotional demand.”
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