Hotels in World Cup Host Cities Are Reporting a Major Problem — and the Tournament Is Weeks Away
New AHLA data shows 80% of hoteliers in World Cup host cities say bookings are tracking below initial forecasts, with visa barriers and rising costs cited as key factors.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Mexico, and Canada next month, but the hotel industry's anticipated booking surge has yet to materialize. A new report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association reveals that 80% of hoteliers in host markets say demand is tracking below their initial forecasts.
The findings paint a sobering picture for an event that was expected to drive record occupancy across dozens of cities. Survey respondents pointed to FIFA room block cancellations, visa barriers for international visitors, and rising travel costs as the primary headwinds. Between 65% and 70% of hoteliers said geopolitical concerns and visa issues are dampening international demand in particular.
Only about 25% to 30% of surveyed hotel operators reported seeing meaningful incremental revenue from the tournament so far. Domestic travelers appear to be outpacing international visitors in early bookings — the opposite of what many properties had planned for.
U.S. hotel performance overall remains solid, with national occupancy hitting 64.9% in March and average daily rates holding at $168. But the World Cup shortfall is raising questions about whether mega-events still deliver the windfalls the industry counts on.
For resort destinations in Mexico, the tournament could be a mixed bag. Cities like Guadalajara and Monterrey are World Cup venues, but popular beach destinations like Cancún and the Riviera Maya may see some diversion of travelers toward host cities — or benefit from spillover tourism as visitors extend their trips south.
The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19, spanning 16 host cities across all three countries.