1 week Ago
Suspense crime, Digital Desk : According to EaseMyTrip, India’s cricket enthusiasts are now replacing TV screens with live stadium experiences on IPL 2025 holidays which has caused a sharp 30–35% spike in travel bookings. This marks an increase from the 20–25% spike witnessed in IPL 2024. This trend is indicative of the growing interest in experiencing live matches which is propelling sports tourism across the country.
Demand for hotel accommodation around the stadiums has also reached new highs. Cleartrip notes that hotel bookings around the stadiums have tripled, while athletic event-related bookings surged by 1.6 on non-holiday weekdays.
Ms. Tavleen Bhatia, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at Cleartrip, stated that the majority of the demand stems from fans traveling from neighboring cities. Rikant Pittie from EaseMyTrip said that many fans from mid-tier Indian cities are booking these hotels over the match weekends.
Premium properties like Shravanthi Sarovar Portico in Bengaluru and Marine Plaza in Mumbai are almost fully booked. Currently, the rates for premium rooms are approximately ₹6,000-₹8,200 and budget rooms are ₹2,200-₹5,200. Hotels have witnessed a 5% increase in occupancy and average rates (ADR) by 7% since pre-IPL week.
There has been a noted increase in the hospitals in Mohali which suggests a 2-3% rise in occupancy and a month-on-month increase of 10% in ADR supporting this demand. Air Travel and Train Travel Have Come Under Two Major Spikes Increased airfare in cities that are IPL’s main attractions such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad are noticeable. A one-way flight from Bangladore to Mumbai is at 2650.
The lowest fare from Mumbai to Bangalore is 3950. Tickets from Chennai to Mumbai are available at prices between 2700 and 3100. Travel closer to match days increases, especially weekend prices and during marquee matches.
There has also been a marked increase in train bookings, with ixigo reporting a spike of between 60 to 65 percent year on year when compared to previous years for bookings to IPL cities. Key destinations are also seeing significant growth with over 50% for Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Lucknow, and even Dharamsala. Ahmedabad has emerged as a major hotspot, with bookings more than doubling for key matches.
There is also significant growth in travel demand for Chennai and Hyderabad with respective increases of 30 and 17 to 18 percent. Metro Systems Struggle with Managing Upsurge in Fan Movement On match days, ridership on the metro system in Ahmedabad has risen to over 90,000 while in Bangladore there is an extension in metro service hours during weekends with 15-18% rise in commuters during IPL matches. The Ultimate Experience Combines Leisure Travel and Cricket As per Skyscanner’s latest survey, which sampled 2000 Indian cricket followers, Mumbai pulls 1 in 5 incoming tourists to enjoy the Stadium experience and the breathtaking city.
Chennai Super Kings supporters are the most likely to travel, then Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians fans. Mumbai has the highest percentage of fans (55%) that have Wankhede Stadium as a must-visit. The IPL, which coincides with mid-summer holidays, is giving fans the chance to fuse leisure excursions with attending cricket matches.
Numerous supporters are transforming the cities of the matches into holiday hotspots, intertwining tourism with sport. Read More: IPL 2025 Sparks 30% Surge in Travel and Tourism Across India.
