World Cup tickets for $3,000!

With the ICC Cricket World Cup fever catching up, around 20 chief executive officers, managing directors and chairpersons of India Inc have booked themselves private villas in Barbados, Sugar Hills and St James in West Indies.

The villas, which cost Rs 6 lakh for eight nights, come with five rooms and a butler service too.

What else? A special golf tournament, which would feature a cricketer too, would also be organised for these high-end travellers.

Besides, the honchos have booked themselves hospitality match tickets worth $449 (Rs 20,025) -- which include a special seating arrangement with breakfast, lunch and drinks too. Some ticket costs are as much as $3,000 (Rs 1,35,000) -- for the two semi-finals and the final.

Compared with the standard package of Rs 3.5 lakh per person, a tailor-made package for a family of four would cost around Rs 22 lakh for a minimum of eight nights.

An interesting aspect of these bookings is that they were done way back in July 2006.

"It's a one-time opportunity to see Caribbean islands and enjoy cricket too. Cricket has been synonymous with Caribbean islands. The booking response has been brisk since we launched the same last year in April 2006. We have been getting bookings every month but now it has really multiplied, and we would be sold out with all our packages by this month end," said Shyam Karthikeya, business head, SOTC Sport Abroad. SOTC Sport Abroad is the only company in India to be appointed as the official travel agent.

A special seven-star Carnival Destiny Cruise accommodation has been organised for Indian visitors.

Barbados Tourism Authority has underwritten the Carnival Cruise and have taken special care for Indian clientele visiting the World Cup with choice of Indian meals onboard the cruise, Indian entertainment, satellite feed of the matches and 24-hour complimentary room service. The cruise will also sail to Grenada and St Lucia.

SOTC is offering discount of Rs 1 lakh on all its packages -- the Great Caribbean Experience - 20 cruise nights; Encounter in Barbados - 12 cruise nights ; Final Mission - 08 cruise nights; Down under Action in Antigua - 07 hotel nights, which include category 1 match tickets.

SOTC plans to book 1,500 passengers but over 5,000 Indians are expected to travel for the cricket bonanza.