According to industry insiders, the likely date change to the much-anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan, which was scheduled for 15 October in Ahmedabad, may result in panic cancellations or date change requests from fans who booked flights and hotels to the venue at exorbitant prices.
While the situation is fluid, several hotels are bracing for an increase in customer distress calls this week. According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may move the match to 14 October, as Navratri festivals begin on 15 October in most states.
Any change in the match date, though, could be difficult for Pakistan, given it faces Sri Lanka in Hyderabad on October 12. Furthermore, two matches have already been planned for 14 October: one between New Zealand and Bangladesh at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, and the other between England and Afghanistan at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
A hotel company with three properties in Ahmedabad said it has not received any cancellation requests, but if they do, it will consider advancing bookings by a day. However, the final decision will be determined by the BCCI’s formal declaration. It is also considering relocating non-World Cup-related bookings to further distant hotels, according to its general manager.
When the World Cup schedule was revealed a month ago, most hotels, including homestays, raised their asking room rates by more than 100%. Prices for 5-star hotels had risen from 5,000-8,000 per night to 40,000-1 lakh on the 15th of October. The India-Pakistan match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, which has a capacity of 100,000 people. The match tickets would cost between 3,000 and 3 lakh rupees.
According to a top BCCI official, the decision to reschedule the date would be made on Wednesday.
As of July 26, one-way economy class flights between Delhi and Ahmedabad start at $24,000 per person. Flights to Ahmedabad from Mumbai and Kolkata cost between 13,000 and 15,000 rupees. It also doesn’t help that the match falls right in the middle of the season.
According to a survey from hospitality consultancy Hotelivate, Ahmedabad had a supply of 3,586 hotel rooms in FY22, spread between Marriott, Taj, ITC Narmada, Hyatt, and Lemon Tree Hotels.
However, according to Chander K Baljee, chairman and managing director of the Royal Orchid Hotels, the match day is unlikely to make or break fortunes. While occupancy rates are high in many of its hotels in locations where World Cup matches are held, like Dharamsala and Ahmedabad, a single date change may not have a substantial influence on a hotel’s balance sheet.
Santosh Kumar is the country head for India and Indonesia. Booking.com stated that because this is a developing problem and the industry and most cricket fans are still waiting for clarification, the cricket board’s ultimate judgement will be anticipated.
“In general, sports and entertainment events have a direct impact on the tourism industry.” When compared to the same period last year, we are seeing an increase in demand around the match dates in October. Given that this is one of the most anticipated matches, it has a big impact on the entire city’s occupancy and availability, resulting in an increase in lodging rates as well as demand,” he explained.,
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