US Hotel Bookings Lag Behind Canada and Mexico Ahead of 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest in history with 48 teams and 104 matches across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, was projected to deliver a massive economic windfall to host cities, but early indicators suggest the U.S. is falling significantly short of those expectations. An American Hotel & Lodging Association survey found 80% of U.S. hoteliers reporting bookings below initial forecasts, with cities like Kansas City seeing 85–90% of hotel owners reporting shortfalls and Philadelphia at 75%, while Miami fares best at 45%. CoStar data shows all four top-ranked cities for hotel booking rates are in Canada and Mexico, with Guadalajara, Monterrey, Vancouver, and Toronto leading, and U.S. cities clustered in the middle and lower tiers. Key factors cited include steep ticket prices — with some semifinal tickets listed above $10,000 — visa delays, U.S. immigration enforcement concerns, tariffs, and broader geopolitical instability discouraging international travelers, particularly from Latin America and the Middle East. Flight booking data from Sojern shows uneven results: Houston and Dallas are up roughly 10–13% year-over-year, Miami and New York are up nearly 8%, but Seattle is down nearly 21%. Industry leaders including Marriott CEO Tony Capuano expressed cautious optimism, noting booking patterns are tracking with internal forecasts and that 35% of hotel bookings for major events historically occur in the final seven days before travel. Deutsche Bank tempered broader expectations, estimating the event would deliver only about a 0.05% short-term U.S. GDP lift even under FIFA's optimistic 1.2 million international visitor scenario.