The IPL effect has officially hit the hills. New booking data reveals that Dharamshala, the scenic home of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, has witnessed a staggering six-fold (6x) surge in hotel bookings week-on-week.
The spike is directly attributed to the Punjab Kings (PBKS), who are scheduled to play their second-phase home matches in the mountain city. While the city has a modest population of roughly 100,000, it is currently punching far above its weight in the national tourism index, outperforming several tier-1 cities in high-intent travel growth.
The Dharamshala Boom: Explained in numbers
According to the latest travel trends report from Scapia, the IPL is acting as a massive short-term tourism generator for scenic, low-volume destinations.
Hotel bookings in Dharamshala surged six-fold as fans from across the country look to combine world-class cricket with a summer getaway. The same has been confirmed by several reports including those by Curly Tales as well as Fortune India both of whom have cited the Scapia report.
Alongside Dharamshala, other non-metro venues like Guwahati recorded a 27% spike in flight bookings, reinforcing the trend of fans traveling specifically for the stadium experience.
Unlike Jaipur, where fans are opting for road travel (bus bookings up 83%), Dharamshala is seeing a mix of high-intent fly-in tourists and luxury travelers.
Why It matters for the experience economy
The data highlights a shift in consumer behaviour among Gen Z and Millennials, who now comprise nearly 50% of the IPL travel demographic. For these fans, the IPL can also double up as travel experience.
Industry experts suggest that non-metro stadiums are now acting as independent aviation and hospitality demand generators. With PBKS set to host three crucial home matches at the HPCA Stadium this season, the local economy is bracing for a sustained peak that usually only occurs during the year-end holiday season.
“Everything and anything that people value in terms of an experience, they are willing to pay for and travel,” Scapia founder Anil Goteti was quoted by Fortune India.
Punjab Kings will play their first match in Dharamshala on May 11. They also matches scheduled there on May 14 and 17.