T20 World Cup: India and Pakistan fans flock to Colombo, windfall for tourism
T20 World Cup: India and Pakistan fans flock to Colombo, windfall for tourism
Author:AI News Curator
Published:February 13, 2026
Reading time1 min read
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Flight and hotel prices soar in Colombo as fans rush to see the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match, providing a major boost to Sri Lanka's tourism sector.
Prices of flights and hotel bookings to Colombo, Sri Lanka, have soared as thousands of fans flock to the city to watch India play Pakistan on Sunday in cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup. The game at Sri Lanka’s largest stadium is sold out with roughly 35,000 tickets sold, and ahead of the match, most hotels in Colombo have doubled their prices — the cost of a room has climbed as high as $660 a night from a typical price tag of about $100-$150 per night. After the match was finalised this week, last-minute bookings led to fuller flights from major cities like Chennai and Delhi. Flights from Chennai have more than tripled to around $623-$756, while flights from Delhi are up more than 50 per cent to roughly $666. Nalin Jayasundera, President of Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), said hotels were booked out. 'Most fans are coming on all-inclusive packages that could be $1,500-$2000 or even higher depending on ticket, hotel, and flight prices,' Jayasundera said. Tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka. It is hoped that hosting more sporting events could boost Sri Lanka’s economic growth, which is recovering from a severe financial crisis and a recent cyclone. Buddhika Hewawasam, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, told Reuters that in the first 10 days of February, roughly 20% of the 100,000 visitors to Sri Lanka were there for the India-Pakistan cricket match. The island nation is hoping to position itself as a neutral venue for matches between political rivals. Lahore local Mian Sultan is looking forward to his trip to Sri Lanka to watch the game. 'I think it’s going to be a great experience,' said Sultan, who spent $800 on a front-row seat.