Despite the troubles dogging the commonwealth games hosted in Delhi in 2010, India saw a large increase in tourism revenue as many travelers flocked to the global sporting event. It is hoped to repeat this boost in revenue this year by hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The first major sporting event of the year so far, the ICC Cricket World Cup is set to start on February 19 and will be hosted across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It is expected that many sports fans will travel from across the world to attend the event between the opening and closing date, the latter being April 2.

The large amounts of tourist cash that can be raised by a country hosting such a global sporting tournament has been the subject of many column inches over the past year, with the South African hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the successful Russian and Qatar bids for the football tournament are deemed as a controversial boost to the respective nation’s economical prospects. UK’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics has also been a matter of discussion.

Many travel service providers have already seen a sharp spike in the number of people inquiring about India, and the hospitality industry is also experiencing increased demand in the run up to the tournament. However, those wishing to visit Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well over the course of the cricket have been advised that returning back to India from these countries may not be possible; a two-month break before reentering India is required for ordinary tourists.

Reported by Mike Jordison.

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