Centre court to Oval: Cricket and tennis to drive demand for high-end sport tourism this month
Companies such as Bharat Army, Indulge Global and DreamSetGo are witnessing steady bookings from high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), entrepreneurs and even millennial families for curated experiences abroad. These range from Centre Court seats at Wimbledon to dinners with sports stars, combining travel with exclusive sports access.
For example, Raghav Agarwal, an entrepreneur from Kolkata, is spending £245 a day, or about ₹28,000, on tickets for The Oval through Bharat Army and combining his 14-day trip with a visit to Wimbledon. 'Late June and early July is also the sweet spot for sports fans like me visiting the UK, as a lot of the holiday makers are returning home. We've lined up Day 2 at Wimbledon and Days 1 and 2 at Lord's. It's the ideal mix of tennis and cricket," he said.
Karan Bhangay, founder of Indulge Global, noted growing inquiries for future global events. 'We see that a lot of our sports tourism clients are high networth individuals (HNIs), and a handful are also serious fans who save up for such experiences. Some are ultra-networth individuals (UHNIs) too, but mainly it is the HNIs who have started to live better, travel well and are in touch with global trends thanks to Instagram and other platforms."
Appeal widens
Rakesh Patel, founder of Bharat Army, said many Indian travellers now prefer sports tourism that doubles as a family vacation. 'We're seeing that Indian travellers don't just want to go to locations just to watch these sports but also to explore locations where they can do holidaying along with their travel," he said.
Bharat Army has already sold 12,000 travel packages for the ongoing England tour, catering not just to India-based travellers but to the global Indian diaspora.
Although largely HNI-driven, sports tourism is no longer limited to just the ultra-wealthy. Millennials and Gen Z travellers, often from metros and emerging cities such as Pune, Mohali and Raipur, are seeking experiential and curated packages. Travel companies such as Thomas Cook and SOTC report a mix of interest from both families and corporate clients.
'We have successfully managed corporate bookings for race viewings at the premium Turn 1 grandstand at Abu Dhabi and Monza this year. Additionally, within our leisure business, due to the demand, we have introduced trips specially for the upcoming India-England Test match and Wimbledon," said Rajeev Kale, president and country head, holidays, meetings and visas, at Thomas Cook. 'With the release of the 2025-2026 global football fixtures as well, we're witnessing early interest for high-demand matches—with more momentum expected to build in the coming months."
The India-England Test Series will be about ₹1.8-2.5 lakh per person (for 6-7 nights), according to Thomas Cook and Wimbledon will set you back ₹2.5-3.5 lakh per person (for 4-5 nights in London). For the 2025-26 Fifa football fixtures in the US, costs will be about ₹3-4 lakh per person (for 6-7 nights, mostly on the east coast). The costs for the events are on a twin-sharing basis, or two people per room, and do not include airfares.
DreamSetGo, owned by Dream Sports, took around 1,500 Indians to the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year, with 600 flying in just for the India-Pakistan match. The company expects demand for Wimbledon to triple this season, according to chief executive officer Monish Shah. 'The price value of these (events) is quite high, and that would require premium corporate movements like wealth managers taking their top clients for these events," he said.
Love for sports
Around 40% of DreamSetGo's business for events like Wimbledon comes from corporates, while the rest comes from individuals or families. Most of their travellers are HNIs. A majority—60%—still only want tickets for these events, which are priced upwards of several thousand to a lakh. They don't always want the whole package, which can then go into several lakhs per person.
For instance, a one-day ticket for The Kia Oval Test match costs ₹2.3 lakh per person, excluding flights and accommodation. A four-day match experience could easily reach ₹10-15 lakh per person for Indian travellers.
India's sports tourism market is still in its infancy but poised for rapid growth. A 2024 KPMG report valued the sector at $10.87 billion and projected a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%, nearly double that of general leisure travel.
Even niche sports like Formula 1 are gaining traction. A three-day race pass for Abu Dhabi F1 in December costs ₹3.5 lakh via DreamSetGo. Attending live sporting events has become a bucket list goal, said S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head, holidays and corporate tours, SOTC. 'This was once quite niche, but it now has a broader appeal to extend to families and young millennials and Gen Z travellers, particularly from cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Ahmedabad. Event-based tourism is expanding."
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