Hours before the World Cup kickoff, the anticipated boost to travel and tourism in the US had not appeared, with flight bookings and hotel demand falling short of expectations [1, 2, 3, 4]. Hotels and airlines across host cities reported weak demand and have cut rates, including major New York hotels like the Hilton Midtown lowering room prices by up to 50%, with rates around $415 per night [1, 2, 3].
Flight bookings from Europe into most host cities for June and July dropped 3.8% year-over-year, while bookings specifically to New York plunged 15.8% compared to last year [1, 2, 3, 4]. FIFA had projected 1.2 million fans would descend on New York City for the World Cup final, but the New York Hotel Association now expects only about 500,000 attendees, a significant shortfall [1, 2, 3, 4].
Vijay Dandapani, CEO of the New York Hotel Association, called the turnout "overall a disappointment. There's no other word that I can say" [1, 2, 3, 4]. The association has cut its forecast for World Cup-related hotel room revenue by 60%, now estimating roughly $60 million in revenue, down from earlier projections [1, 2, 3, 4].
Contributing factors include expensive ticket prices, visa hurdles, and complex logistics across the tournament’s 16 host cities in three countries, deterring many international and domestic fans [1, 2, 3, 4]. US travelers, where soccer has lower popularity than in Europe, have not filled the gap left by fewer international visitors [1, 2, 3, 4].
Average hotel bookings across all host cities are only slightly up 0.5% year-over-year, underscoring the tepid overall demand [1, 2, 3]. However, Dandapani noted a "positive sign" in a recent small uptick in bookings from UK and Norwegian fans [1, 2, 3, 4]. Vacation rentals and Airbnb properties reported strong demand despite weakness in the hotel sector, providing some relief to lodging providers [4].
As the tournament progresses, industry watchers will continue monitoring travel and hotel trends to see if fan interest picks up in other host cities. The coming weeks will reveal whether this early trend holds or reverses as notable matches unfold.
