World Cup 2023: Sea of blue awaits Kiwis in Dharamsala

Deepankar Sharda

Dharamsala, October 17

Planning to visit Dharamsala this weekend? Think twice before descending on one of the most beautiful destinations of Himachal Pradesh, for the winter capital of the state is going to be jam-packed ahead of the India-New Zealand World Cup tie.

Though the match is scheduled to be held on October 22, most of the hotels, government guest houses and even rented accommodations are pre-booked.

Many in the business have stopped accepting bookings, and those available are sure to burn a deep hole in your pocket. With the World Cup fever gripping the state, non-availability of rooms is not limited to Dharamsala only, it extends to McLeodganj, which usually host tourists throughout the year.

“The local hotels will be full in the coming days. Out of the five matches here, the India-New Zealand match is the most awaited one. The Indian team is a hot favourite for the World Cup title. And no one wants to miss watching them live from this wonderful stadium,” said Prashant Chadha, who runs a hotel here.

The Indian team’s performance in the tournament so far is another reason to lure the spectators.

“The world talked about the India-Pakistan tie and the effort made by people to reach Ahmedabad. The same situation will be witnessed here in the coming days. This is a small city and has limited resources to accommodate 23,000 spectators, who are eagerly waiting for the Indian team’s match. So, to some extent it will resemble the scenes of the India-Pakistan match,” said Asha Sharma, co-owner of another hotel.

Passes in demand

Matches and the demand for free passes go hand-in-hand. The number of requests shot up by the day, with the tickets having been sold out online.

Having no tickets in hand, cricket buffs are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to get their hands on one. “Leave alone accommodation at Dharamsala, the tickets are sold out and people are trying to get hold of free passes now. The craze for this sport is amazing and people reach out to their level best for getting the access to tickets or passes. Before making reservations, many ask us if we can arrange a pass or ticket for them,” said Kunal, owner of a homestay.