FIFA's hype fails: US hoteliers call World Cup a 'non-event'

With just five weeks before the ball rolls, FIFA's promise to turn the 2026 World Cup into an economic colossus for the United States appears to be deflating. 

According to recent data from the hotel industry, advance bookings in several host cities have not only failed to take off, but actually stand at the same level—or even below—that of an ordinary summer.

A survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) reveals that nearly 80% of hoteliers in 11 host cities report bookings below original forecasts. The disappointment is so great that some industry members are already describing the tournament as a "non-event."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised last year that this tournament would be the equivalent of "104 Super Bowls." However, hotel industry experts are blunt about this figure. 

"It wasn't true when it was said and it's not going to come true now," Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality market analysis at CoStar, said to Forbes.

FIFA's analysis projecting a $30.5 billion impact depended on a massive influx of international tourists, which is not happening.

According to the AHLA, seven out of 10 hoteliers blame visa barriers and geopolitical concerns for suppressing foreign demand, compounded by the logistical complexity of a tournament spread across three countries and 16 cities, which makes travel expensive and difficult.

In Kansas City, 85% to 90% of hotels report lower bookings than a typical summer without events. Cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle record similar figures, with 80% of hotels below expectations.

In New York and Los Angeles, demand remains "soft" and in line with a normal summer, without the expected World Cup spike.

Marginal and local economic growth

Despite the media noise, the actual impact on citizens' pocketbooks and employment will be limited. A report by Oxford Economics noted that while there will be some growth in the leisure and hospitality sectors, this will have "no material impact" on overall economic gains or job creation this year.

Only a quarter of hoteliers surveyed by AHLA admit to seeing "significant incremental momentum," highlighting primarily markets with strong prior leisure demand or those hosting team base camps.

Miami is the positive exception, with 55% of hotels reporting bookings above expectations. Atlanta shows a split picture, with 50% of hotels meeting or exceeding expectations. In Texas (Dallas and Houston), 70% of hoteliers see numbers below expectations, reflecting limited impact. 

Experts such as Alan Fyall of the University of Central Florida say that if international fans don't arrive due to high costs and bureaucratic hurdles, stadiums will be filled primarily with Americans.

"It will look great on TV, but it won't be a tourist event" of the magnitude promised, analysts conclude.