T20 Cricket World Cup 2026: Steep hike in hotel and air fare ahead of India-Pakistan match in Sri Lanka
The T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan will be played on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, starting at 7 p.m. Those planning to travel to Colombo to watch the matches on February 14 and 15 will have to pay up to five times the air fare.
On Tuesday (February 10th), MakeMyTrip's website showed the fare for a Delhi-Mumbai Colombo flight on February 14th and 15th as being up to Rs 1.45 lakh per passenger. On normal days, the fare for a direct flight to Colombo is around Rs 30,000. Meanwhile, the cost of high-end hotels in Colombo has also reached Rs 1.14 lakh.
The direct flight from Delhi to Colombo takes approximately 4 hours. On February 14, the day before the match, the fare for an Air India nonstop flight ranges from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.09 lakh. Sri Lankan Airlines fares range from Rs 65,000 to Rs 1.45 lakh.
On Sunday, February 15th, the day of the match, before 7 pm, the fare for an Air India nonstop flight is Rs1.09 lakh. Sri Lankan Airlines fares are Rs 66,000.
A direct flight from Mumbai to Colombo takes about 3 hours. The fare for an Air India nonstop flight on February 14 is up to Rs 90,000. Sri Lankan Airlines fares are up to Rs 56,000.
The fare for an Air India nonstop flight before 7 pm on February 15 is Rs 28,000. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Airlines shows fares of Rs 66,000.
Hotel fares skyrocket
If you book a room for two people in a 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star hotel in Colombo on February 14t and 15, the cost per night is up to Rs 1.14 lakh. On normal days, rents for large hotels in Colombo range from Rs 40,000. However, rooms in smaller hotels and guest houses can be found for as little as Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000.
Sri Lanka's tourism industry will receive support
Sri Lanka's tourism industry is currently facing a crisis. According to a report by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, revenues have declined despite the increasing number of tourists. The report states that revenues from tourists visiting Sri Lanka in January 2026 declined by approximately 5.6% year-on-year.
Sri Lanka earned $400 million (approximately Rs 3,622 crore) from tourism in January 2025. However, this revenue fell to $378 million (approximately Rs 3,423 crore) in January 2026. Sri Lanka hopes that the India-Pakistan match will attract a large number of visitors and support its tourism industry.