Cricket fever grips Ahmedabad:Hotel fares quadruple, fans ready to pay ₹80K; air tickets scarce ahead of T20 WC final

As soon as Team India secured a place in the T20 World Cup final, cricket fever gripped Ahmedabad. Team India and the New Zealand squad have already arrived in the city. Meanwhile, thousands of cricket fans are also making plans to reach Ahmedabad to watch the final match. It is estimated that around 40,000 spectators from outside the city will travel to Ahmedabad for the T20 World Cup final. As a result, prices of room rents and flight tickets have skyrocketed, rising three to four times compared to normal days. Many cricket fans are willing to pay up to ₹80,000 for a hotel room just to witness the match live. At the same time, airfares from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to Ahmedabad have surged to ₹15,000–₹30,000. According to people associated with the hospitality and aviation sectors, prices may spike even further as the big day approaches. Even before the game, most hotels in Ahmedabad are nearly fully booked, and room prices have surged by 300 to 400 percent. India–New Zealand final at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8 The Narendra Modi Stadium, considered the world’s largest cricket stadium, is preparing to host another historic moment. The T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand will be played here on March 8. 40,000 fans expected to arrive from across India and abroad Hotel rooms that usually cost ₹5,000–₹6,000 per night, are now available for anything between ₹15,000 and ₹80,000, even then funding a room has become difficult. According to industry sources, many well-known hotels in Ahmedabad are already 70–80 percent booked, and are expeted to be fully booked sooner than later. The Narendra Modi Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 1.2 lakh spectators, is expected to be housefull. Around 30,000 to 40,000 fans from other cities and countries are likely to arrive in Ahmedabad to watch the final. Rooms normally available for 6000 are difficult to get even for 15,000!
The month of March was quite cold for the hotel industry. However, due to the final match, the hotel industry may see growth of around 50 to 60 percent. Many cricket fans have booked hotels even before getting match tickets. On one hand, this match is becoming a moment of excitement and pride for cricket lovers. On the other hand, the final is proving to be a golden opportunity for Ahmedabad’s hotel industry. Cricket magic has spread in the city in such a way that people are ready to spend heavily just to get a glimpse of the match. Despite a 300 to 400 percent increase in rates, about 80 percent bookings have already been made. Hotel rooms that normally cost 6,000 are difficult to get even at 15,000. As demand continues to increase, hotel rates are expected to rise further. Hotel room rates may increase further – Narendra Somani
Hotel and Restaurant Association President Narendrabhai Somani said that it is a matter of pride for Ahmedabad that the T20 World Cup final is being played at Narendra Modi Stadium. This will greatly benefit hotel operators. As people are getting tickets, there is increasing rush for bookings. Currently, hotel rates are ranging from 15,000 to 80,000. As more people are getting tickets, the rates are gradually increasing and the demand for hotel bookings is also rising. Therefore, rates may increase further. Regarding how much benefit the hotel industry will receive, Narendrabhai Somani states that there is hope all hotels will be full. This is because the Narendra Modi Stadium has a capacity of more than one lakh (100,000). Due to this, around 40,000 people come from outside to Ahmedabad to watch the match. Therefore, arrangements for 10,000 to 15,000 rooms are needed. However, due to less room availability compared to demand, prices tend to increase. March was a very slow month for the hotel industry. But due to the match, hotel operators will gain significant benefits in just two to three days. Narendrabhai Somani said that the hotel industry will see 50-60% growth in just two days. times. Hotels that had room rates of 6000 are now selling them for 18-20 thousand. Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, many major events are being hosted in Ahmedabad. This has greatly benefited the hotel industry. Also, with the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games coming up, by 2030 there will be as many new hotels built as there are currently. Massive spike in flight fares to Ahmedabad
According to Chikki Travels Director Ankit Bajaj, a large number of cricket fans from other states and countries are coming to Ahmedabad for the T-20 final match. Railways has arranged special trains between Mumbai-Ahmedabad. Despite this, flight fares from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore to Ahmedabad have increased three to four times compared to normal days. Where tickets were normally available for 5 to 7 thousand, now they are being quoted at 20 to 30 thousand rupees. Along with domestic travel, travel has also become expensive for cricket lovers coming from Dubai and London. The ticket from London to Ahmedabad has now reached up to 1.2 lakh rupees.