If you have any plans to visit Lucknow in October or November, be prepared to land into an accommodation crisis. The Uttar Pradesh capital will be hosting a series of matches for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup due to which hotel rooms are either sold out or their tariffs have tripled particularly on key match days.
While this has added to tourist woes, hoteliers are here to do brisk business. “Yes, after hosting the IPL (Indian Premier League), the city is all set to host the world cup. We are ready for the show. Back-to-back mega events will not only strengthen the hotel industry but generate indirect employment, which is good for UP’s economy,” said Sarvesh Goyal, a hotelier.
According to the official website for the Cricket World Cup, Lucknow will be hosting five prime matches – the first match at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium between Australia and South Africa on October 12; Australia versus Sri Lanka on October 16; Netherlands versus Sri Lanka on October 21; India versus England on October 29; and the last match between Netherlands and Afghanistan on November 3. Maximum footfall, however, is expected for the match between India and England on October 29.
On an average, the tariff for luxury hotels in Lucknow ranges between Rs 5,000 and Rs 11,000 per day. But, on match days, hotels have increased the tariff to Rs 40,000 per day. One of the five-star hotels on the banks of Gomti river, which charges Rs 11,000 per day, has increased its tariff to Rs 40,000 for October 25 and 26.
Similarly, another five-star hotel on the Lucknow-Kanpur highway has increased its tariff to Rs 79,000, while another prime hotel in the Mall Avenue area displayed a ‘sold out’ sign for the key match days. The situation is no different in other decent hotels, and this continues till November 3.
Some hoteliers, however, justified the tariff hike and said for the first time after Covid, their industry is experiencing a boom in the state capital. “Surge pricing is the latest trend. We see it everywhere nowadays, be it while booking cabs, ordering food through or booking travel tickets; so, why should the hotel industry stay behind? I think, for the first time after Covid, the hotel industry is experiencing a boom and I am of the opinion that everyone has a right to make money. The tariff hike is justified,” said a hotelier.
