Hotel room tariffs and airfares to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, have surged significantly in anticipation of the upcoming cricket World Cup final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium this Sunday.
The escalating demand driven by cricket enthusiasts eager to witness the final match has led to a substantial rise in hotel room prices across the city. Notably, top five-star hotels are charging as much as Rs 2 lakh for a night’s stay, while other hotels have hiked their rates by five to sevenfold.
President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Gujarat, Narendra Somani, highlighted the global enthusiasm for the final, noting interest from places such as Dubai, Australia, and South Africa. He mentioned that Ahmedabad, with 5,000 rooms in three and five-star hotels, and a statewide count of 10,000, expects an influx of 30,000 to 40,000 visitors from outside the region for the match.
Somani underscored the direct correlation between heightened demand and escalating room rates, citing a surge from previous nominal prices to current ranges of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh. He also emphasized that as the match day approaches, the surge in demand will likely extend to surrounding towns, impacting hotel prices there as well.
Online rates for five-star hotels have soared to approximately Rs 2 lakh per night, with establishments like ITC Narmada and Hyatt Regency listing rates exceeding this figure. Even non-star hotels have inflated their prices significantly to capitalize on the fervor surrounding the event.
For instance, Hotel Crown, typically priced between Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per night, has surged its rates to over Rs 20,000, confirmed its staff. Simultaneously, airfares to Ahmedabad from various destinations have seen a drastic surge compared to standard rates. Flights from Chennai, typically priced around Rs 5,000, are now ranging between Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000 due to the heightened demand for travel to Ahmedabad.
Travel agent Manubhai Pancholi highlighted the three to fivefold increase in airfares for flights to Ahmedabad from nearly all locations, attributing this surge to the exceptional demand for travel associated with the cricket World Cup final.
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