Return of IPL’s home-and-away format in 2023 sees travel bookings soar 30%

A player during the match between SunRisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2023 on April 2

After shifting to an overseas venue during the Covid years to being confined to one state in 2022, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is back with its home-and-away format. It has recorded an increase of around 30 percent in travel demand for the 2023 season of the tournament.

Travel operators and hoteliers note that there has been a surge in interest to watch the IPL in stadia this year compared to pre-Covid times.

"Compared to last year, we have observed a 20-30 percent overall increase in travel bookings during the IPL season so far,” said Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip.

Friends and family, too

Search queries for flight bookings have seen a 20 percent increase month-on-month (MoM) for March and April, said Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO & Co-Founder, ixigo. “Bulk bookings are also on the rise as cricket enthusiasts are excited to travel with their friends and family to watch the matches, especially after the COVID lull," he said.

Train ticket booking platform Confirmtkt has seen a 10-15 percent MoM rise in train bookings for Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai, which are hosting IPL matches.

“Bookings are more for 21-23 April on account of the long weekend due to the Eid holiday as fans can take longer breaks and include local sightseeing as a part of their IPL trip,” said Bajpai.

He added that while domestic fares are already up by 20-25 percent this year across popular routes, that has not affected overall travel sentiment. “People are willing to spend more on flights and hotels for experiences like the IPL,” he said.

Pitti said that flight ticket prices to popular routes during the IPL season have been fluctuating. “For Delhi, there has been a 20 percent increase in flight ticket prices compared to regular fares. On the other hand, Bengaluru has seen a decrease of around 3 percent in flight fares. The Delhi-Mumbai route has seen a decrease of about 10 percent, while the Delhi-Bengaluru route has seen a reduction of about 15 percent in airfare. The Delhi-Chennai route has seen the most significant decrease in flight ticket prices, of about 30 percent."

He added that hotel booking demand has increased 50 percent during this IPL season. “Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi are among the top cities where we have seen high demand for hotel bookings.”

Along with the metros, destinations such as Mohali, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and Guwahati will also see strong footfalls in hotels, said Sanjay Gupta, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center.

Gupta says room bookings have increased at the Sheraton Grand for IPL matches being held in Bengaluru. “Any matches clubbed with a weekend are helping us fill up on weekends, too. Bengaluru will be host to about 6-7 IPL matches, as per the schedule and I am seeing 5-10 percent increase in room bookings at the moment,” he said.

Hospitality chain OYO says it is seeing higher than usual traction in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Jaipur. “We expect this trend to continue throughout April and May. This is a clear sign that fans are looking forward to witnessing their favourite teams in live action. We are expecting a greater influx in demand as the tournament proceeds towards the more interesting stages,” said the OYO spokesperson.

Eye on sporting events

Along with the IPL, hoteliers and travel operators are tracking upcoming sporting events as they expect an increase in travel demand. “There are several prominent sporting events that are scheduled to be held in India in the upcoming months, and we expect a rise in travel demand for these events. One of the most significant is the Indian Super League (ISL), a professional football league that attracts a massive audience of football fans,” said Pitti

Other major sporting events such as the Pro Kabaddi League, Hockey India League, Indian Badminton League, as well as international events can also drive significant travel demand in India, he added.

The pandemic bruised not only sports tourism but overall tourism in India for quite some time, pointed out Gupta. “But now with the COVID surge taking a backseat, the IPL is back with a bang like a huge festival, offering tremendous opportunities to all corporates, tour operators, airlines, travel agents and hotels,” he gushed.