Oops. Those turbo charged cash registers ready to rort FIFA World Cup visitors to the US are screaming to a halt.
Hotels in the 2026 World Cup’s 11 US host cities are reporting underwhelming demand for stays during the tournament, new data released this week by the American Hotel and Lodging Association shows.
The AHLA, which represents more than 30,000 properties nationwide, surveyed members in the host cities, and close to 80% of respondents reported that bookings were “tracking below initial forecasts” for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, the New York Times reported.
The report - based on 205 responses from hotel operators and owners, many of whom own multiple portfolios across multiple World Cup markets - indicates that current performance is very soft compared to the expectations of the hotels themselves.
Over 70% of respondents in San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia and Boston reported that booking pace was below expectations, with over 60% saying the same in Los Angeles, New York City, Houston and Dallas.
Citing the feedback from members, the AHLA concluded that “indicators suggest the anticipated economic lift [from the World Cup] may fall short of expectations.”
The report also says that some properties are “pausing investments around World Cup-specific activations, brand partnerships, and temporary renovations amid uncertainty” due to slower-than-expected demand.
It also warns that if bookings fall below expectations, host cities will not generate the tax revenue that FIFA and others promised.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has regularly made claims that the World Cup will have a $30 billion “economic impact” in the US, but a significant portion of this projected impact relies on tourists piling into the country during the tournament.
And it casts further doubt on how many international fans will travel to the US for matches.
Hard to guess why foreign tourists would avoid visiting the US while the orange shitgibbon rules.
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