It?s still over two months to go before the engines roar at Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, but the buzz is in top gear for India?s inaugural Formula One race.
Everyone, from foreign tourists, domestic corporate travellers, travel agents and hotels, are gung-ho about the three-day sports extravaganza that begins on October 28.
Around 6,000 tickets were sold in the first two days of sales opening on bookmyshow.com last weekend. In fact, over R1 crore of revenue was generated in the first three hours of ticket sales itself.
The F1 arena in Greater Noida has a seating capacity of around one lakh spectators, excluding officials and media.
The six categories of tickets are priced between R2,500 and R35,000. ?Right now, we have just started the first phase of ticket sales that we are doing online. In the second phase next month we will open physical channel of ticket sales,? says a Jaypee official.
Jaypee Sports International has tied up with cab operators and will also be running chartered buses during the event for tourists and spectators.
Jaypee Hotels, with its presence is Noida, is planning to cash in on the event in a big way. As per information, Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, Jaypee Delcourt, service apartments and a budget hotel are all sold out for F1.
?We are still getting a substantial number of queries from other countries in Asia, Italy, France and the UK. Along with the increased interest from foreign tourists, Indian enthusiasts and NRIs are also calling to enquire for rooms,? says Manju Sharma, director, Jaypee Hotels.
The Radisson Blu Noida, another five-star property in the area, is also sold out for the last week of October. Many tourists have even planned onward journeys to Agra and Jaipur.
Hotels that got an insipid response to the much-hyped Commonwealth Games were not anticipating much from the F1 weekend, but they have been pleasantly surprised.
?The event has generated business for us and we have got bookings from corporates and even international tourists,? says Rahul Pandit, president, Lemon Tree Hotels, which has two properties in east Delhi in the vicinity of Noida.
Sonica Malhotra, owner of Radisson Blu Noida says not only are they sold out for the October race, bookings for the repeat race in April next year have also started trickling in.
Understandably, the buzz, though for a short sports event, has the hospitality players and travel agencies happy, especially as bookings have been rather slow owing to slowdown fears.
There is no official travel partner for F1 in India, but travel agencies have been getting queries for weekend travel packages.
?It?s a good sign (getting queries for the Grand Prix). We plan to announce special packages in the first week of September for the event,? says Karan Anand, head-relationships, Cox & Kings.