Hotel room tariffs in Ahmedabad have jumped ahead of the India-New Zealand T20 World Cup final, with rates rising by as much as 300 to 400 per cent, an industry representative said on Sunday.

The high-profile match is scheduled to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the city on Sunday.

Narendra Somani, hotelier and president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Gujarat, said room tariffs that were earlier around Rs 15,000 have jumped as cricket fans from across India and abroad arrive in the city for the match.

“There is a 300 per cent to 400 per cent increase in the room tariffs due to the high demand in view of the T20 WC final. Rooms which were available for Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 now have rates between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000,” he said.

Online listings also show a sharp spike in tariffs at several prominent hotels in the city ahead of the final.

A ‘Deluxe Room’ for two at Taj Skyline on Sindhu Bhavan Road has already gone up to Rs 2.01 lakh, plus Rs 36,000 GST, for Sunday night, as per a leading travel portal. On normal days, the room rent typically ranges between Rs 9,000 and Rs 15,000, marking a nearly 20-fold increase.

Similarly, room tariffs at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels on Ashram Road are currently showing around Rs 20,950 on the portal, significantly higher than its usual range of Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000.

At Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad, rooms are priced around Rs 30,000 for the match night, nearly four times the standard fare charged on other days.

Considering all categories of accommodation, Somani said, Ahmedabad has around 10,000 hotel rooms. He said occupancy levels are expected to be high due to the match, though not completely sold out.

“We expect that all the hotels in and around the city will see nearly 80 per cent occupancy on Sunday due to the match,” he said.

With hotel prices climbing sharply, many visitors are opting for alternative arrangements instead of staying overnight in the city.

Somani said some people choose to stay in Gandhinagar, located about 25 km from Ahmedabad. A significant number of fans are also travelling to the city only for the match and returning the same day, he said.

“What many people do, especially people from Bombay, is they leave in the morning by road. They arrive here by four or five o’clock and go straight to the match. They bring a driver and leave at night,” Somani said.

Visitors from other parts of Gujarat are following a similar pattern. “They do the same thing; they come in their car and leave in their car. Let’s say, from Rajkot or Porbandar,” Somani said.

Apart from domestic travellers, foreign visitors are also arriving in the city for the match, he added.

Ticket prices for Sunday's Twenty20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand have soared on the black market, with fans shelling out more than 15 times the original rate as demand overwhelmed supply ahead of the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Official tickets, starting at 2,000 Indian rupees ($21.76), sold out within minutes on BookMyShow, prompting thousands of fans turning to unofficial routes.

Some tickets with a face value of 3,500 rupees were selling at 54,000 when Reuters checked on the eve of the match.

Scalpers have seized control of the resale market, pushing prices far beyond face value as supporters scrambled for a seat to witness India's bid for back-to-back titles at the world's largest cricket stadium where more than 100,000 predominantly home fans are expected to turn up.

"I've paid 35,000 rupees for a 3,000-rupee ticket because I couldn't get through the waiting list," said a businessman from Mumbai requesting anonymity.

"There are specific WhatsApp groups for reselling tickets. You only get added if you're serious, and it works strictly on advance payment so buyers don't back out."

Ahmedabad police arrested a youth for reselling tickets at an inflated rate, local media reported.

"The situation is not new to us. We paid exorbitant prices even during the 2023 ODI World Cup," said a Delhi resident.

Price has also ballooned on online resale platforms of tickets starting at 11,000 rupees.

The price hikes have become a nightmare for the fans who cannot afford inflated rates and risk becoming prey for scammers.

The Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) said it had no knowledge of what was going on outside.

"Bookings happen only through the BookMyShow app. The cricket association does not sell any physical tickets," GCA secretary Anil Patel told Reuters by telephone.

The International Cricket Council did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Ahmedabad's hotel prices have also skyrocketed at least 10 times to cash in on the cricket hysteria.

Properties near the venue were fully booked despite the price hike.

Budget hotels along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and in nearby Gandhinagar, which usually charge 4,000 rupees per night, were demanding rates of 40,000.

"This is our peak time to earn profits as a large number of people come to watch the match," a local hotel owner said.

Another hotel owner said the rush would have been a lot less had India not qualified for the final.