Gateway to South India, unremarkable fishing village, major commercial hub, culture capital – all these are just some of the terms used to describe Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and one of the four major metropolitan cities of India.
The city of Chennai (earlier, Madras) is home to a mixture of historic monuments, high-rise buildings and famous Hindu temples. Old meets new, religion meets technology, culture meets contemporary in this beautiful city. Whether you are looking for fun in the sun at the world’s second-longest beach or the glamour of the Tamil movie industry, Kollywood; whether you want to touch base with your religious roots or absorb culture at the month-long music festival, Chennai has it all.
And now, the tourism industry of Chennai has one more reason to celebrate – the city plays host to the IPL Twenty20 matches!
The IPL Twenty20 cricket tournament was launched by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the lines of the English Premier League and the National Basketball League. Started in 2008, the tournament is an annual one played among 8 teams consisting of some of the best cricket players, both domestic and international. The enthusiasm of the fans of this relatively short tournament promises to make it the next cricket mega event of the country.
The city team, Chennai Super Kings, is often known as the most valuable team with an approximate brand value of USD 28.4 million! The team boasts of Stephen Fleming as coach, Gregory King as trainer and M S Dhoni as captain besides superlative players.
The tournament itself has thousands of fans across the globe, many of whom travel to locations across India just to watch the matches. In Chennai, this has resulted in a tourism explosion. At the time of an IPL Twenty20 match, 4 star hotels in Chennai and budget ones alike are booked to capacity and still in demand! Hotels near Chennai airport are the first to get filled up, especially for the busier fans who drop in for a couple of days just to watch their favorite players live.
Proximity to the stadium where the matches are played is another important factor to consider while making a choice among the varied hotels in Chennai.
The more die-hard fans are known to book two, sometimes three, rooms in Chennai hotels, just in case.
Those working in the travel industry – taxi owners, short tour operators, sightseeing service providers, etc. – are just as happy as the owners of the hotels at Chennai.
Playing host to the IPL Twenty20 matches has substantially increased Chennai’s rating on the popularity meter and brought a smile on the face of its tourism industry.
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