Just over a month before the opening kick of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning signs suggest the tournament’s long-promised economic windfall may be far less spectacular than advertised. Hotel owners across much of the United States are confronting an inconvenient reality: The World Cup tourism boom has yet to materialize.In a report released this week by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, nearly 80 percent of surveyed hotels across the 11 Amerian host cities reported that bookings for June and July are tracking below expectations.Many markets are reporting booking levels that are not only softer than expected for a World Cup summer, but in some cases lagging behind a normal June or July.
Weak Hotel Bookings Leave World Cup Financial Boom in Doubt
