Cricket Fever Drives Surge In India’s Domestic Travel

Match Day Means Travel Getaway

India’s cricket season is driving a noticeable surge in domestic travel, with new Airbnb data revealing significant year-on-year growth in searches and bookings across cities hosting matches, particularly outside major metro areas.

As marquee tournaments take place between February and May, travel demand is spreading into emerging cricket destinations such as Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, and Lucknow. This trend highlights how major sporting events are reshaping India’s tourism landscape.

Airbnb’s internal data shows that searches by Indian guests for several match-hosting cities during the cricket season have risen sharply compared to the same period last year, with the most pronounced growth seen in emerging cricket centres beyond the metro circuit. Ranchi experienced nearly a 120 per cent increase in searches year-on-year, while Thiruvananthapuram saw over 110 per cent growth. Jaipur and Lucknow also recorded strong growth, with searches rising more than 70 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.

Overall, the data suggests that high-profile cricket fixtures are boosting travel to Tier-II cities, diversifying visitor demand beyond India’s traditional gateway cities.

Key match-day spikes were even more pronounced

Searches for stays by Indians in the host city Colombo during the India vs Pakistan match weekend (February 14-17 2026) surged over 325 per cent, while nights booked recorded a notable increase year-on-year, underscoring cricket’s power to drive cross-border travel during marquee encounters.
Similarly, ahead of the cricket world cup final window (March 7-10, 2026), Ahmedabad recorded a nearly 170 per cent increase in searches, reinforcing its position as a marquee cricket destination during major tournament fixtures.

Behind this surge is a generational shift in how cricket is consumed. What was once largely a living-room experience has evolved into in-real-life travel, especially among younger Indians. From streaming watch sessions to travelling across states to support favourite teams, cricket is increasingly shaping how Gen Z plans trips and getaways.

Airbnb’s Experience-Led Travel Insights survey showed that nearly 60 per cent of India’s Gen Z say they plan to travel to attend live cricket matches in 2026, and 70 per cent prefer to attend with friends or family. While cricket might be drawing India’s Gen Z to a destination, their trips typically extend beyond the match day. Rather than short, single purpose visits, these trips are often built as longer stays as more than half extend trips beyond match days to explore local culture, cuisine and neighbourhoods. The median trip length for a cricket match stands at three–four days, mirroring a growing appetite for immersive, experience-led travel.

Search trends highlight this evolving pattern. Airbnb data on Indian travelers leading up to the cricket season indicates that cricket-related travel is increasingly appealing to families and groups. In Ahmedabad, searches for entire homes were nearly twice as high as those for private rooms. Similarly, the demand for homes with two or more bedrooms grew significantly in several cities, with Ahmedabad seeing almost a 50 per cent increase, Kangra rising by nearly 90 per cent, and Visakhapatnam experiencing over a 75 per cent growth.

Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Country Head for India and Southeast Asia, Airbnb, said, “Cricket has long united the country in spirit. What we’re seeing now is that same energy translating into travel, with fans building meaningful trips around the game. Increasingly, these moments go beyond the stadium, people are extending their stays, travelling with friends and family, and exploring destinations more deeply. On Airbnb, we’re seeing this shift firsthand, as travellers choose homes that allow them to stay together, experience neighbourhoods more authentically, and turn match days into fuller, more memorable getaways. It’s a powerful example of how culture shapes travel and creates meaningful impact for local communities.”

As India’s tourism ecosystem evolves, cricket-led travel is increasingly extending beyond traditional gateway cities. As fans travel for marquee fixtures and build longer stays around match weekends, visitor activity is reaching a wider set of host cities supporting local hospitality ecosystems and contributing to more geographically distributed tourism demand.