The 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, which expanded to include 48 teams, has been hailed as the most commercially successful tournament in history. However, the anticipated boost to tourism and the hotel industry in host cities has not materialized as expected.
On July 17, the BBC reported that FIFA emerged as the biggest financial winner of the tournament. Deutsche Bank research predicts that FIFA's total revenue over the four-year cycle, including this tournament, will reach $13 billion. Broadcasting companies, global sponsors, and the sports betting market were also identified as significant beneficiaries. Estimates suggest that the global sports betting volume for this World Cup could reach approximately $50 billion.
In contrast, host cities and the hotel industry did not experience the expected economic windfall. Experts cited a decline in general tourism and an increase in low-wage service jobs, leading to limited long-term economic benefits, according to the BBC.
Signs of this trend were evident even before the tournament began. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) surveyed over 200 hotels in 11 host cities, including Kansas City, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, and found that about 80% reported reservations falling short of expectations.
Bloomberg, citing data from CoStar, reported that hotel occupancy rates in New York during the World Cup were only 18%, down from 26% during the same period last year. The Financial Times also noted that room rates on match days in major host cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco had dropped by about 30% compared to earlier this year.
Factors such as high ticket prices, visa issues, and long travel distances between host cities have been identified as barriers to attracting international tourists. Ultimately, while the World Cup generated unprecedented revenue for FIFA, broadcasters, and sponsors, it failed to deliver the expected economic benefits to the tourism and hotel sectors in the host cities.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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