The highly anticipated India versus Pakistan cricket showdown in Dubai on Sunday is fuelling travel demand, with a surge of 20-30 per cent in airfares and hotel tariffs throughout the tournament period.
Dubai is the co-host for the tournament, and India kicks off its campaign against Bangladesh on Thursday. The Men in Blue will then face off with Pakistan and New Zealand on February 23 and March 2.
“We have observed a spike in travel demand for the Champions trophy, with overall bookings to Dubai up by about 25 per cent,” said Rashida Zahid, vice president of operations at Musafir.com.
“Airfares to Dubai have increased by about 25 per cent, particularly in the weeks leading up to the event. Additionally, hotel rates in key locations have risen by roughly 20-30 per cent, reflecting higher occupancy,” she added. Apart from India and Pakistan, there is also interest from the UK, Australia and GCC countries.
The India-Pakistan encounter on Sunday is the biggest crowd puller and tickets for the match were sold out within minutes during a second sale for Emirati residents two days ago. Match tickets were available on resale websites at inflated rates.
“There is a good mix of demand from corporates and high net-worth individuals,” said Daniel D’souza, co-founder of DreamSetGo, the official travel agent for the ICC Champions Trophy.
The firm is offering packages for India’s matches in Dubai which include match tickets in the pavilion or premium category and luxury accommodation.
“India Pakistan match packages were sold out in 3-4 days as the majority of booking requests were received in advance. Some have opted for 3 nights, 4-day packages priced between ₹1.8 and ₹3.5 lakh which include tickets for the first two India matches,” D’souza said.
“We have also curated events for our corporate customers including chat session with a former Indian cricket star,” he added.
Yet large incentive group movements for the event are said to be lower. Dubai was finalised as the venue for India matches only around last Christmas. Also, the tournament is taking place in February which is close to the end of the financial year in India. Another factor is the limited capacity. Dubai International Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000 spectators.
Ashok Kapur, (area director of sales & marketing in the Middle East), Taj Dubai, however, said that Dubai is poised for a substantial surge in travel demand due to the Champions trophy.
“The hotel’s occupancy is expected to soar to 99 per cent, with average daily rates reaching their peak, reflecting the exceptional demand for premium hospitality during this global sporting event,” Kapur said.