By IANS,
London : What will be India’s loss in terms of the Indian Premier League (IPL) moving out of the country would be a bonanza for the recession-hit British economy.
It is estimated that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as well as the British tourist industry will stand to make over $100 million (50 million pounds) in ground rent, hotel accommodation and the tourist inflow, particularly from the subcontinent, that is expected during the 45-day extravaganza.
The organisers had apparently tied up the travel accommodation long before the Sunday decision to move IPL out of India as it clashed with the general election dates in the country. They have already shortlisted four hotels booking over 400 rooms for the teams, the franchisees and overseas fans.
As for tourists, some of the Indian airlines are offering attractive packages with heavily discounted prices. The aviation experts say that Delhi-London-Delhi tickets during the IPL might come down to Rs.10,000-Rs.15,000.
IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi and Indian cricket board secretary N. Srinivasan left Mumbai for London Monday morning “with an open mind”, said sources close to the Indian board.