World Cup boom fizzles as hotel bookings lag…
The world could also be gearing up for soccer’s largest spectacle — but hotel rooms across North America are still sitting more empty than anticipated.
With less than a month until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, early reserving numbers recommend the hospitality industry might have overestimated just how many followers would shell out big bucks to comply with the motion in individual.
Despite the hype surrounding the first-ever 48-team World Cup — expanded to a whopping 104 matches unfold across 16 cities — hotel occupancy charges in a number of host hubs are lagging where they had been this time last 12 months, according to data from property analytics firm CoStar.
Not every matchup is precisely Messi-level must-see TV, and sticker shock might also be killing the thrill when it comes to the 2026 World Cup, consultants say. REUTERS
Some cities are still anticipated to rating big. Mexico City, Monterrey, Dallas and San Francisco have all posted comparatively strong reserving numbers, per The UK Times.
But elsewhere, the image seems to be shakier.
Hotels in Vancouver are averaging just 39% occupancy for match dates, down from 53% at the same level last 12 months. In Boston — where Norway faces Iraq on June 16 — occupancy charges are hovering around 32%, in contrast to 44% a 12 months in the past.
Even the Brazil-Morocco showdown in close by New Jersey hasn’t given New York City resorts the anticipated increase. Occupancy charges for June 13 sit around 31%, down sharply from 43% last 12 months.
According to another current report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the early World Cup gold rush could also be more mirage than money-maker.
In a survey of hoteliers across 11 host markets — including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle — 80% said hotel bookings are monitoring below initial forecasts.
About two-thirds of New York City operators reported softer-than-expected bookings, while practically 80% of resorts in markets like Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle said they’re working behind typical summer season demand.
Roughly 65% to 70% of respondents pointed to visa hurdles and broader geopolitical issues as major drags on worldwide demand, while about half reported FIFA room block cancellations that successfully “reset” early reserving expectations.
Only about 25% to 30% of markets are seeing any significant incremental carry from the match, largely those with strong baseline leisure journey or confirmed workforce base camps.
The sluggish numbers are raising eyebrows as hoteliers brace for what was supposed to be a tourism gold mine.
The expanded, three-country match is hitting followers with pricier flights, inflation and geopolitical complications. Corbis via Getty Images
Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics for CoStar, warned that the match might end up being a “tale of two months,” with weaker turnout during the early rounds before demand spikes later in July for the must-watch knockout video games.
“For the earlier round games, it is possible that they won’t have the draw that was expected and that implies lower room occupancies,” Freitag said. “There are teams that didn’t qualify four years ago for a reason.”
Freitag pointed to Curaçao — the tiny Caribbean island nation making its World Cup debut — as one instance of a workforce unlikely to set off a large wave of touring American followers.
The mega-tournament arrives as vacationers grapple with hovering airfare costs, inflation, and more and more eye-watering event prices — issues exacerbated by geopolitical tensions abroad.
While past World Cups had been held in a single nation, the 2026 match spans three nations. That makes journey more sophisticated and pricey for followers following groups metropolis to metropolis — while a report 100+ matches might merely be spreading demand too skinny.
“Now you have a war going on, and with oil prices up, airfare is more expensive. So even if you thought, ‘oh, I can make a last-minute decision’, the airfare suddenly plays into your calculation,” Freitag said.
The World Cup’s broader financial windfall is wanting less assured on the ground, with hotel bookings lagging even as it heads toward kickoff.
REUTERS
Some even called the World Cup a “non-event” once room releases and weak worldwide fan journey had been factored in.
President Trump beforehand denounced sky-high 2026 World Cup ticket costs in an exclusive interview with The Post, saying even he wouldn’t shell out the $1,000 needed to attend the US opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing construction, joking at a current event that resale tickets for the July 19 remaining at MetLife Stadium had been topping $2 million — and promising to personally ship “a hot dog and a Coke” to any purchaser keen to pay it.
He also famous that average remaining tickets are nearing $13,000, up sharply from about $1,600 in 2022, while some SoFi Stadium seats are listed from $1,079.
Critics say the pricing spree — mixed with aggressive resale markets and dynamic pricing — dangers shutting out on a regular basis followers, even as FIFA touts “record-setting” demand and more than 5 million tickets already bought.
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.
