- Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup in eight stadiums with an average capacity of 47,500 seats.
- More than 2.45 million FIFA tickets have already been sold with the next counter in September.
- Doha is a four-hour flight from India and Indian travel agents offer FIFA World Cup packages.
With less than 100 days to go for the world’s biggest sporting event FIFA World Cup, tickets are flying off the shelves. No fewer than 2.45 million tickets have already been sold out for Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022, and Indians are also planning trips to Doha.
It’s no surprise, as Doha is a four-hour flight from India. Even without Indian representation, India has many football fans and the event with 32 teams and 65 matches across eight lanes brings many of them to Qatar.
“We have booked more than 160 travel packages so far. More than 70% of the inquiries are from Kolkata. Although tickets for the main matches are sold out, we do have executive travel packages for flight and accommodation,” said Adit Sarin, founder of LestacIndia, a travel agency in India.
In addition to LestacIndia, agencies such as Fanatic Sports, the Asia-based travel agency for custom sports events and also Make My Trip have launched seasonal packages.
Travel and Ticket Categories for FIFA
The average venue capacity of FIFA World Cup venues is 47,500 chairs. The FIFA federation has divided the tickets into four categories. Fan tickets are only available in categories 1, 2 and 3 as category 4 is reserved for residents of Qatar.
After the launch of the phase 1, 2 and 3 of FIFA tickets, the federation has announced that the next sales phase will be launched in September. This last-minute sales phase is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
The most expensive tickets are from the category 1 ticket finals which cost more than ₹1 lakh per person. Other categories are divided into category 2 and 3, with the cheapest category 4 tickets reserved for residents of Qatar only.
A total of 65 matches will be played during the FIFA World Cup 2022. While many travelers would stay in fan villages and hotels, food can be quite expensive. The average cost of food for a tourist in Doha is ₹3,800 per day.
“Public transportation is free, but staying in the fan village is expensive, at $70 a day just for lodging. But we are excited nonetheless. This will be the last World Cup for football megastars Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. The Qatar World Cup is extra special because underdogs like Belgium and African teams came into the spotlight,” said Shilarze Saha Roy, a 35-year-old from Kolkata, India who attended the World Cup.
“Brazil will be the favorite again after a long time,” Roy added.
What are the packages?
FIFA mention hotel packages from ₹26,934 per person. The packages can be broadly classified into three categories: premium, premium economy and economy. The ticket costs are accessible here.
Mid and Upper Mid Packs
Three travel agencies in India are listed below for offering travel packages without match tickets.
Fanatic Sports, a Mumbai-based sports travel agency, has been appointed as the joint match hospitality partner in India for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The packages will start from ₹75,929 with the highest price of more than ₹3 lakh.
LestacIndia offers travel packages for Indians traveling to Doha. However, this does not include match tickets. The four night package starts from 51,000 per person.
MakeMyTrip offers five flexi packages for the World Cup, ranging from 32,000 to ₹86,000 per person.
LestacIndia Packages
| Category accommodation for 4 nights in Qatar during FIFA World Cup 2022 | Estimated cost per person |
| 2* Property Category in FIFA Pack | ₹51K-90K |
| 3* accommodation category in FIFA package | ₹75K-275K |
| 4* category accommodation in FIFA package | ₹150K-700K |
| 5* Category Accommodation in Qatar FIFA Package | 290K – 170K |
The cheapest range of packages offered by the company starts at ₹35,000 for three nights in Qatar by LestacIndia and MMT. A package for the same number of nights from MMT costs ₹32,250 per person.
LestacIndia
| Category accommodation for 3 nights in Qatar during FIFA World Cup 2022 | Estimated cost per person |
| 2* Property Category in FIFA Pack | 35K-60K |
| 3* Category Accommodation in FIFA Package | ₹ 55K- 2 lakh |
| 4* category accommodation in FIFA package | 1.3 lakh -6 lakh |
| 5* Category Accommodation in Qatar FIFA Package | ₹2.5 lakh – 1.5 lakh |
Premium Economy: Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways also offers seven travel packages with tickets. This includes hotel accommodation in the category of your choice, match tickets and a cruise ship docking in Qatar.
Capital Travel, in partnership with Etihad Airways, has announced flight and overnight packages for 18,060 excluding tickets.
The Qatar Airways ‘Support Your Team Package’ for a 13 night stay ranges from over ₹5 lakh to 1 crore. The pack contains four match tickets from the fan’s favorite team, one of which is chosen at random.
Early Groups Packages for the premium category include a seven night stay and three matches with accommodation in five star Qatar hotels. They range from ₹6 lakh to ₹1 crore.
The round of 16 packages consists of four nights, with two matches ranging from ₹3.9 lakh to ₹5.7 lakh. Another premium package is accessible through the Indian travel agency LestacIndia.
| Category accommodation for 3 nights in Qatar during FIFA World Cup 2022 | Estimated cost per person |
| 2* Property Category in FIFA Pack | ₹75K-120K |
| 3* Category Accommodation in FIFA Package | ₹100K-300K |
| 4* category accommodation in FIFA package | 210K-900K |
| 5* Category Accommodation in Qatar FIFA Package | 350K – 200K |
After accessing these travel packages, there are a number of checklist documents required for travel to Qatar which are listed below:
- Hayya card (apply after purchasing a match ticket): Having Hayya gives free access to public transportation in Qatar during the day of the match.
- Passport with six months validity
- Valid vaccination certificate (booster recommended)
The weather in Doha in November and December 2022 is said to be pleasant, ranging from 21-30 degrees. However, the temperature in the stadiums can just rise, so pack accordingly.
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