by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 8:05 PM ET, Mon June 22, 2026
The World Cup extravaganza is officially upon us with matches underway from coast to coast in the United States and throughout North America.
But the event, which organizers had promised would be a major boost to tourism, has not entirely lived up to the hype.
FIFA had projected that more than six million fans would converge for the tournament, which involves 104 games across 16 cities throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA officials also projected a global economic impact of $80 billion. And FIFA's president even suggested that the world would "stand still" for the tournament.
Those bold projections, however, have not materialized. At least not for all host cities.
Hotel bookings in particular have been surprisingly soft around the World Cup, despite expectations of a major travel surge.
FIFA has also canceled its own reservations for large blocks of hotel rooms in some markets. In Kansas City, for instance, FIFA canceled 75% of its peak-day hotel room reservations across the metropolitan area, which one publication says has left the local hospitality industry "scrambling."
Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico are outperforming many American destinations in hotel bookings, even though the United States is hosting the majority of matches.
Yannis Moati, CEO of HotelsByDay, told TravelPulse that some World Cup host markets are tracking at least 13% below last year's booking levels, despite hosting one of the world's largest sporting events.
"The reason for this soft booking is from a combination of factors, such as exorbitant ticket costs, pricey transit, visa backlogs, and strict U.S. entry policies has deterred global travelers," Moati explained.
"As a matter of fact, international travel into the USA has dropped steadily since early 2025, beginning with a significant decline in Canadians crossing the border," Moati added. "There is no doubt that the systematic restrictive Trump travel policies have had a chilling effect on Destination USA."
Soft hotel bookings mean that the anticipated economic boost from high-spending international soccer fans has largely failed to materialize. Hospitality industry reports show domestic travelers currently driving the majority of demand, which dampens profitability, since overseas visitors traditionally spend significantly more, added Moati.
Many hotels in U.S. host cities, which had inflated nightly rates by as much as 500 percent above average for World Cup event dates, are now slashing prices to match last year's booking rates.
In New York City, hotels are now projecting they will make only half what was expected, with one publication reporting that "what was expected to be a major economic boom from the World Cup is looking like a big bust." Faced with such lackluster bookings, the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) has slashed its forecast for hotel revenue growth during the tournament period from roughly $200 million to $100 million.
"The industry has been warning for months that World Cup bookings were falling short of the goal for what should be a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity," readMedia reported.
John Boyd, from the consultancy The Boyd Co, one of the leading experts in the United States on sports tourism and economic development, says major sporting and tourism events almost always produce winners and losers. And early indications show that the economic impact of the World Cup is tracking below the most optimistic projections in several host cities.
"Hotels that priced rooms based on peak-demand expectations may have overestimated the market," Boyd told TravelPulse. "Add in persistent inflation, higher airfare, and some uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration and visa policies—which can discourage or delay international travel for certain visitors—and demand has been more uneven than many forecasts assumed."
Economic benefits vary by city
To be fair, however, in some places the World Cup has delivered the promised tourism boom. In Kansas City, hotels have reported 32 percent growth in bookings over the same time last year, according to Visit Kansas City.
And markets like Miami are outperforming as well because they already have a global tourism and hospitality infrastructure and strong global connectivity, Boyd explained. That includes being home to a significant soccer fan base and "having business and social ties to soccer's most ardent fans in the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe," said Boyd. "As well as a large base of affluent international visitors, many with fewer visa obstacles, who tend to stay longer and spend more."
Cities with similarly strong global connectivity, tourism fundamentals and a robust sports economy, such as New York, Dallas and Los Angeles, where FIFA is also benefiting in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics, appear to be closer to the more bullish projections, Boyd added. In those locations, hotel occupancy, ticket sales and visitor spending outpace most other host cities.
The FIFA World Cup returns to North America in 2026. (Photo Credit: Adobe/Maksym Yemelyanov)
A late rescue for some locations
If there is one silver lining for some World Cup host cities, it's the growing stream of late reservations being made by fans.
For example, opening night saw a 30% surge in last-minute bookings across Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Toronto, according to HotelsByDay. Mexico City stands out as the biggest winner so far, securing a 50% increase in nights sold and a massive 180% leap in revenue compared to last year.
In addition, not all of the economic impact from the World Cup can be measured by hotel and visitor spending data, Boyd suggested. "All 11 host cities, whether or not they reach the economic impact predictions made months ago, have a unique platform for business networking and deal making," Boyd explained. "CEOs and other influential business , sports and media figures spending time and making relationships in host cities is an economic development opportunity in and of itself."
And perhaps one of the World Cup's biggest long-term benefits is the business it creates beyond the matches themselves. In all 11 host cities, startups in sports tech, digital media, hospitality, logistics, and event services are leveraging the tournament to build new partnerships and grow their customer bases. "Those business relationships often deliver a more lasting economic impact than visitor spending alone," said Boyd.
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