London is the preferred destination for India summer tourists this time, courtesy ICC World Cup 2019. The ten-team quadrennial event is scheduled between May 30 and July 14 in England and Wales.
India are one of the favourite teams to win the 12th edition of the International Cricket Council World Cup.
According to an article published by national daily Times of India, international curated tours operator Pickyourtrail witnessed 250% increase in bookings. Since cricket fan had the opportunity to get tickets in advance as the assurance to be at the venue for the game of their choice, the travellers have planned their summer trip to England and Wales. London is the favoured destination among all the match venues.
Vacationers plan tours around important match dates, since the World Cup coincides with peak summer travel. Amogn the destination in high demand is Manchester, where India are scheduled to play arch foes Pakistan on June 16, Sunday. The city will also attract a host of cricket fans from Pakistan.
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The other matches witnessing high demand include India-South Africa clash at South Hampton on June 5, India-England in Birmingham, India-Australia at the Oval, London, and India-Sri Lanka in Leeds.
Aspirational travellers are also taking short-term loans to watch the World Cup, the paper has reported. Travel fintech company Sankash expects a four-fold increase in visa bookings this year. “Because of the flexibility in EMI tenure of up to 18 months, mid-level and some entry-level executives are approaching us with requests for travel loans to London this summer,” the paper has reported Sankash co-founder Akash Dahiya as saying.
The corporate world is reportedly contributing over 50%, whereas the millennial segment is amounting to 18%, ad hoc groups of friends and family 25%, and discerning luxury travellers (5%).
Car rental portals such as EcoRentACar and Avis are also expecting a surge in self-drive bookings in and around London made from India.
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