F1 spikes demand for travel to Singapore, Abu Dhabi, says travel company

MUMBAI: While the Olympics has wrapped up, sports tourism involving outbound travel from India has only got going with enthusiasts already booking the next round of trips to Singapore and Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1 Grand Prix races to be held in September and December respectively. Airfares to these countries for travel around the time of these races have gone up, said a travel search aggregator.

The F1 races are scheduled to be held in Singapore from Sept 20 to 22 and in Abu Dhabi from Dec 6 to 8. “The excitement is palpable, with a surge in searches for these high-octane destinations. Our data reveals a staggering 189% increase in flight bookings for Singapore for the date of September 18 September compared to September 17, suggesting Indian fans are eager to soak up the pre-race atmosphere in Singapore,” said Skyscanner. The Singapore Grand Prix, to be held in the evening of Sunday Sept 22 takes place over 62 laps of the 4.94 km Marina Bay Street Circuit.

For Abu Dhabi, the action heats up on December 2, with flight bookings jumping 188% compared to the previous day, it added. “It seems many Indian fans are keen to arrive early and gear up for the festivities. Interestingly, there is another spike of 167% in volume of flight bookings for the outbound date of December 07 compared to the previous day, indicating that some fans might be timing their visit to catch the heart-pounding climax of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,” it added.

TOI looked at fares on Skyscanner for travel on Sept 22, the day of the race. From Mumbai, the cheapest one-way ticket on non-stop flight was priced at Rs 12172 for a Vistara flight that landed at 9.15 am. But from Delhi, no tickets were available on flights that landed in the morning or early afternoon in time to catch the race which begins at 5.30 pm. For travel a day earlier, on Saturday, Sept 21, the cheapest one-way fare was a Vistara fare on a flight which departs at 11.45 pm and lands in Singapore at 8.15 am (all local times).

Giving tips to bag cheap fares, Skyscanner said: “To maximize your savings, you could also consider mixing and matching the airlines and airports you choose to fly with to and from, to seriously cut costs. Remember, flights don’t always need to be booked as round-trip - embrace flexibility and strategic planning, to keep your budget grounded. This can help you save on flights and get the most bang for your travel buck.”

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