AHLA Report Warns of Lackluster World Cup Bookings
By Jordan Bradley
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) conducted a market analysis of what American host city hotels can expect from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and found that bookings could “fall short of expectations.”
According to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Hotel Outlook report conducted in late April and released on May 4, around 80% of respondent hotels are seeing summer bookings generally “lagging behind a typical summer.”
Despite more than five million tickets sold to World Cup games, “this demand has not yet translated into strong hotel bookings,” AHLA said in the report. “Forecasts show that domestic travelers are outpacing international travelers—an imbalance that threatens the broader economic impact the World Cup was expected to generate.”
Respondents to the survey cite new taxes and fees in host cities, international perceptions of visa delays, TSA wait times and funding uncertainty, increased gas and jet fuel prices, and room block cancellations as barriers and deterrents for international travelers.
“Hotels across host markets have spent years preparing for the World Cup, and while there is real excitement, the data points to a more nuanced outlook,” said Rosanna Maietta, President and CEO of AHLA.
The report surveyed 11 host cities: Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia and Boston. Data was gathered using a combination of publicly available and AHLA-sourced market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, data research firm CoStar/STR, and Oxford Economics/Tourism Economics.
Many respondents in Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle described the games as a “non-event” following the release of hotel room blocks by FIFA earlier this year.
Two-thirds of hotel respondents in New York City said bookings were softer than expected and typical of a normal summer, and more than 60% of these respondents “point to international travel barriers and geopolitical concerns influencing the soft bookings,” AHLA said.
The report referenced New Jersey’s proposal of a “last-minute, temporary World Cup tax” that is “highly unpopular” among residents, according to the report.
“The tax burden would fall on local families through higher prices for everyday goods and services, adding to the cost-of-living squeeze already facing households near the stadium,” the report said. “This creates an unfair competitive advantage to the counties included in the proposed tax increase legislation.”
The report also pointed to New Jersey Transit’s visitor surcharge on FIFA World Cup match days which would increase fares from NYC’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from $12.90 to $150 round trip. Transit fare markups have also been announced in Los Angeles and Boston.
“A range of factors have tempered early optimism, though forward indicators show there is still meaningful opportunity ahead. To fully realize that potential, the U.S. and FIFA must ensure a welcoming and seamless experience for international travelers,” Maietta said. “That means avoiding unnecessary cost increases on visas and transportation to and from the games, and discouraging local jurisdictions from adding last-minute tax hikes that hurt the games and consumers.”
Atlanta and Miami were the only two cities to offer positive feedback regarding booking pace and expectations, according to the report. In Atlanta, around half of hotels participating in the survey said booking pace was in line with or ahead of expectations, and ahead of a typical summer. They attributed this largely to “team base camps, strong air connectivity, and diversified demand sources.”
In Miami, 55% of respondents said that booking pace for June and July was ahead of expectations “and typical summer benchmarks,” the AHLA said.
Still, Maietta and AHLA are encouraging fans of the FIFA World Cup to book sooner than later.
“And our message to consumers is clear: now is the time to book your hotel,” Maietta said.
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