As the world anticipates soccer’s grand event, hotel occupancy in North America isn’t quite matching the excitement.
With just weeks to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, initial booking figures suggest that the hospitality sector may have misjudged fan enthusiasm for attending the matches in person.
Even though this World Cup will feature an unprecedented 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 cities, some host cities are seeing occupancy rates trail behind where they were last year at this time, according to insights from real estate analysis firm CoStar.
Some locations are still doing well; cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, Dallas, and San Francisco have seen solid booking numbers, as reported by the British Times.
However, other areas tell a different story.
In Vancouver, hotels are reporting an average occupancy rate of only 39% on game days, a drop from 53% the previous year. Boston is similarly struggling, with a current rate of about 32%, which is up from 44% a year earlier.
Even the highly anticipated Brazil-Morocco match in New Jersey hasn’t boosted hotel occupancy in New York City. As of June 13, the rates were around 31%, down from last year’s 43%.
A recent report suggests that initial excitement for hotel bookings may have been overly optimistic, as highlighted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
In a survey covering 11 host markets—including major cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle—80% of hoteliers reported that their bookings fell short of expectations.
Additionally, around two-thirds of New York operators reported lower-than-anticipated bookings. Nearly 80% of hotels in places like Boston and Philadelphia also noted disappointing numbers compared to typical summer demand.
Many respondents—between 65% and 70%—pointed to visa issues and ongoing geopolitical concerns as significant barriers to attracting international visitors. About half mentioned cancellations of FIFA room blocks, which reset their early expectations for bookings.
Only a portion of markets, about 25% to 30%, are experiencing significant upticks from the tournament; this is mainly true in areas where leisure travel is consistent and teams are setting up base camps.
These disappointing figures are causing concern among hoteliers, especially as they brace for what was supposed to be a lucrative tourism opportunity.
Jan Freitag, CoStar’s national director of hospitality analytics, cautioned that the tournament might end up being a “two-month story,” beginning with low attendance during early rounds before demand surges for knockout matches in late July.
“The early rounds might not have the draw everyone hoped for, leading to reduced occupancy,” Freitag noted. “Some teams didn’t qualify four years ago, and that matters.”
He specifically referenced Curaçao, a newcomer to the World Cup, as unlikely to attract a significant number of traveling fans from the U.S.
The upcoming mega-event coincides with rising air travel costs and inflation, complicating matters for fans. Unlike previous tournaments held in a single nation, this World Cup spans three countries, making travel more costly and cumbersome for fans following their teams.
“Right now, global issues like wars and increasing oil prices are pushing airfares higher,” Freitag explained. “So even if someone thinks they can make a last-minute decision, those costs add up quickly.”
Some have even suggested that the World Cup’s appeal may be waning, given the high number of available hotel rooms and a decrease in international fan attendance.
In a past interview, Donald Trump criticized the soaring ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, noting he couldn’t afford the $1,000 needed for the U.S. opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the ticket pricing, humorously mentioning that resale tickets for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium were going for over $2 million and promised to personally deliver “hot dogs and cokes” to those who purchased tickets.
He also remarked that average prices for final tickets are nearing $13,000, a significant jump from around $1,600 in 2022. Some seats at SoFi Stadium are already listed starting at $1,079.
Critics highlight that this price surge, in combination with a robust resale market and dynamic pricing strategies, could alienate everyday fans, even as FIFA claims record demand with over five million tickets sold.
