UAE fans pay Dh7,000 to watch India–Pakistan in Colombo
Cricket enthusiasts in the UAE are shelling out well over Dh6,500 for a weekend sojourn to Colombo as they brace themselves to see Sunday’s big match -the mother-of-all clashes between India and Pakistan at the T20 World Cup. As airfares have gone up and hotel prices rise in advance of the match, those who are attending have faced sticker shock.
However, the airfare indicated return flights from Dubai to Colombo during the time of match are costing currently an average of about Dh3,700 depending on which date you fly and how long in advance do you book.
Direct flights on Friday are averaging about Dh1,680 for your onward journey with the return three days later in and around Dh1,200. For those who are still yet to jet off on Saturday, outbound fares are averaging at Dh2,000 and returns on Tuesday informally stand about Dh1,600. Travel agents say most bookings were done in recent weeks, driving up prices as the match nears.
The passenger include Jahanzeb, a Pakistani businessman working in Dubai. I make it a point to watch India-Pakistan matches in the stadium if possible,” he added. He has managed to take time off work to watch the game in Colombo.
“I always try and watch this rivalry live. It’s a totally different stadium setting,” he said.
“I booked my ticket a few days ago for Dh2,300 before the prices went up,” Jahanzeb said. He flew out on Friday and is returning Tuesday, extending the trip into a long weekend.
He had also paid for a hotel in Central Colombo, which he booked for three nights at the rate of nearly Dh2,200. As per current bookings, a four-day-stay in a five-star property during the match weekend could cost anywhere between Dh1,800 and Dh4,000 depending on the hotel and its location.
Tickets for the match vary according to seating category, but mid-level seats are priced between Dh400-600. Along with flights, hotel stay and match tickets, their calculation is to also include local transport, airport transfers, food and even short sightseeing trips that could easily rack up another Dh600 to Dh800 in expenses.
The expenditure mounts up, and the short weekend trip might cost anything between Dh6,000 to Dh7,000.
“It is a lot but India-Pakistan isn’t your normal game,” said Jahanzeb.
Easy visa process, strong demand
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, a senior manager at Wisefox Travel and Tourism, said die-hard cricket fans from both countries were showing an impressive level of interest.
“There’s a lot of interest from fans. For both sides, the visa process is simple and Sri Lanka is already a well-known tourist destination,” he said.
“A lot of passengers will turn it into a small holiday before Ramadan begins. These kinds of matches happen only once in a few years and no one wants to miss the stadium experience.”
Hotel rates have also gone up, he said, and even a single high-profile match such as this can provide a temporary lift to the tourism.
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