2 min readMay 21, 2026 10:31 AM IST
The 2026 Football World Cup may not bring the expected tourism boom to the United States, as hotels in nearly all host cities are seeing bookings far below expectations, a BBC report found.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which represents over 32,000 hotels, says the anticipated economic lift may fall short. The BBC reports that the AHLA partly blames FIFA for block-booking too many rooms for its own use. This, the AHLA claims, created artificial demand and drove up prices. After FIFA cancelled many of those rooms, hotels were left with a sudden drop in bookings.
As per the AHLA, this does not align with FIFA’s statement that more than five million tickets have been sold for the event, externally, and it creates a risk that “the anticipated economic lift may fall short”.
“With the upcoming FIFA World Cup just 50 days away on 22 April, more than five million tickets have already been sold for this edition of the tournament, which is set to be the biggest yet as 48 teams vie for glory across 39 days of thrilling action. The cumulative attendance record of 3.5 million set at the 1994 FIFA World Cup is on course to be surpassed during this year’s competition,” FIFA had said in a statement.
FIFA has rejected these accusations, the BBC notes. FIFA says all room releases followed agreed timelines with hotel partners.
The hotels blame high match ticket prices, local transport costs, and the political atmosphere for putting off international visitors. Many hotels made major investments based on official projections. A FIFA-commissioned study had predicted the World Cup could add $17.2 billion to the US economy and create 185,000 jobs.
However, up to 70% of rooms reserved by FIFA in cities like Boston, Dallas, and Los Angeles have now been cancelled.
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The FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11 with Mexico taking on South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, along with Canada and Mexico.
