International fans skip US World Cup, dampening expected economic windfall
TL;DR
Even with more than 5 million World Cup tickets sold, hotel bookings in most US host cities are well behind projections as international fans avoid the tournament due to visa delays, high travel costs, and broader travel concerns, threatening to shrink the projected $30 billion economic impact and forcing operators to recalibrate expectations.
Topics:sportsbusiness#business#economic-impact#hotel-industry#us-host-cities#visa-travel#worldcup-2026
- Foreign soccer fans ditch FIFA World Cup, threatening ‘$30B’ economic boom for the US New York Post
- Hotel report: Kansas City trails all US host cities as demand tracks below World Cup expectations KCTV
- Hotels have a big World Cup problem: Bookings are running far below projections NPR
- 80% of Hotels Say World Cup Bookings Are Missing Forecasts Skift
- Hotels in U.S. World Cup host cities claim underwhelming demand, new report says - The Athletic The New York Times
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on New York Post