Dedicated England cricket fans willing to travel over 3,000 miles for their team, Booking.com research reveals ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™
- Fan dedication is clear with over one in 10 (12%) willing to miss their own wedding to follow a cricket tour live with almost one-fifth (18%) looking to take advantage of their company’s flexible work policy
- Unsurprisingly, the weather is the most important factor for fans when deciding whether to stump up and go on a tour (73%)
- New research from Booking.com, the Official Accommodation Booking Partner of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™, reveals fans’ favourite international cricket destinations include the Lord’s Cricket Ground, followed by the MCG in Melbourne, then Kensington Oval in Barbados.
- The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™ takes place in Australia this October and November with Brits being the top international nation booking trips downunder*
LONDON, 4 OCTOBER 2022 - A whopping half of England fans would travel over 3,000 miles to follow their cricket team on an international tour, confirming they are one of the most dedicated groups of fans! With the atmosphere of the crowds (44%), and the unforgettable experiences live sport creates (34%) being the top reasons they choose to commit to watching and travelling for live sport.
According to research by Booking.com, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™, which explored cricket fans' habits and attitudes towards travel, the weather (73%) is the most important factor for England fans when deciding whether to follow their team across the world.
Luckily, Australia is the host of this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™ where temperatures could soar to the high 20s. With little chance of rain stopping play, fans can also take the opportunity to enjoy some winter sun, with insights from Booking.com also revealing that Brits are the top international nationality booking stays in Australia this October and November.*
Fans are revelling at the chance to support England against a big rival, with a quarter saying it's the best thing about the tournament taking place in Australia, as well as being able to visit famous Australian cricket grounds (15%). While the MCG in Melbourne is called out by fans as one of their favourite international cricket destinations (11%), it was Lord’s Cricket Ground that came top (59%) with Kensington Oval in Barbados in third (6%).
It’s not just the weather driving fans' dedication, providing team support to help with a win (61%) and being able to bring family on the trip with them (57%) are also key factors. With many also willing to miss key life milestones with over one in 10 (12%) happy to skip their own wedding to watch a cricket tour live. Some fans (one in 10) are even willing to skive off work for the ultimate tour, while 18% would look to take advantage of their company’s flexible working policy.
Jos Buttler, T20 & ODI England cricket captain and Booking.com ambassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, said: “It’s amazing to see the dedication our fans have to our sport and the distances they'd be willing to travel, as shown in this research. As a professional sportsman I travel a lot and feel very lucky to have fans who would travel to support us. There's something special about a home crowd, when you’re away! We’re looking forward to playing in Australia once again and we’ll be desperate to put in a good performance.”
Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com, said: “We’re so excited to be the Official Accommodation Booking Partner of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022™ once again this year. The findings show just how much dedication cricket fans have to the sport, and how much they are willing to travel to support the teams they love. We believe cricket, like travel, has the power to inspire and unite people even on the other side of the world, reminding fans that there is a world of amazing and diverse culture, people and experiences waiting to be discovered”.
Booking.com’s partnership with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is part of the travel brand’s five-year global strategic partnership with the International Cricket Council, in which Booking.com is the exclusive accommodation booking partner for all ICC events.
For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office:
Methodology:
The research for Booking.com was carried out online by Opinion Matters amongst a panel of UK cricket fans resulting in 1,003 respondents. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2019) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018).
*According to Booking.com data, Brits were the top international nationality booking stays in Australia for trips taking place between 01.10.22 and 30.11.22 (as of 27 September 2022).
About Booking.com:
Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch startup to one of the world's leading digital travel companies. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG),Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com seamlessly connects millions of travelers with memorable experiences, a range of transportation options and incredible places to stay-from homes to hotels and much more. As one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for both established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes, Booking.com enables properties all over the world to reach a global audience and grow their businesses.Booking.com is available in 44 languages and offers more than 28 million total reported accommodation listings, including more than 6.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay. No matter where you want to go or what you want to do, Booking.com makes it easy and backs it all up with 24/7 customer support.
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