Expensive World Cup alienates fans and affects hotels and airlines in the United States

Facade of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host 2026 World Cup games, including the final
Angelina Katsanis/Reuters
Just hours before the start of the World Cup, the expected boost to the travel and tourism industry with the biggest sporting event of the year has yet to materialize.
For years, the tournament was expected to bring a bonanza to the U.S. travel industry, which now faces a decline in international visitors amid what rights groups describe as a climate of fear.
The crowds of fans that hotels were counting on have not yet arrived, forcing many to reduce rates. Flight bookings have fallen sharply, while ticket prices have soared. Expensive game tickets have further dented demand, and industry analysts say enthusiasm has been subdued compared with previous World Cups.
The weak start suggests that the traditional World Cup travel route -- which typically relies on international fans willing to travel long distances and spend big to follow their teams -- is faltering. Instead, costs, visa hurdles and the logistics of attending games in 16 host cities across three countries have proven to be an impediment.
North American travelers, in a country where soccer is less popular than in Europe, are not filling the gap.
It's "overall a disappointment. There's no other word I can say," said Vijay Dandapani, chief executive of the Hotel Association of the City of New York. The association cut its World Cup-linked hotel room revenue forecast by 60% to about $60 million, he said.
The Federation of International Football (FIFA) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last-minute demand has yet to materialize
Flight bookings from Europe to most host cities in June and July were down 3.8% on average from a year earlier, according to Cirium, even after the European have already reduced travel to the US in 2025. Bookings from Europe to New York, host of the July 19 final, plunged 15.8%, Cirium reported.
FIFA had projected 1.2 million fans would descend on the city, but Dandapani said New York's hotel association expected only half a million.
Dandapani said there had been an uptick in bookings from fans in the UK and Norway recently, which he called "positive sign".
Hotels are hoping for a last-minute boost after the end of the group stage, despite discouraging initial data. Average bookings in host cities were up just 0.5% from a year ago, according to analytics firm CoStar.
Several New York hotels are offering discounts on rooms, Dandapani said, including the New York Hilton Midtown, the city's largest hotel, which cut rates for the tournament in half, to $415 per night, compared with rates announced in December, he said.
Hilton said in April that it was seeing strong booking volume, driven by New York. The following month, Marriott said that "there is obviously still a lot to be booked as the exact fixtures for the second half of the competition have not yet been decided."
Hilton declined to comment, while Marriott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Some fans are skipping the World Cup," said Andy Milne, England superfan and author of the book That World Cup Guy. "My friends are going to Ibiza to watch all the games on TV for a fraction of the price. Others are going to Las Vegas. It will still cost money, but much less than tickets, travel, hotels and transportation to stadiums."
Even well-heeled fans, who have boosted the performance of U.S. travel agencies, are waiting for matchups to settle or for their teams to advance before committing to travel, said Roadtrips, a company specializing in luxury sports travel.
Ticket and visa costs are a disincentive
Fans from more than half of the ranked countries require visas to enter the United States, increasing costs and uncertainty for travelers who are already wary of increased border enforcement measures. The Trump administration denied entry to a Somali referee for alleged links to "suspected members of terrorist organizations."
FIFA's ticket sales practices also dismayed some fans. no-limit has further inflated costs and drawn regulatory scrutiny.
The cheapest ticket in host cities like New York and Miami now approaches $1,000, according to TicketData.
Even as ticket prices halve as key matches approach, last-minute demand may remain subdued as overseas fans still face the cost and complexity of booking travel and securing visas on short notice, said Dana Lattouf, chief executive of UK ticket distributor Tickitto.
Seasonal rentals, which allow groups to share costs, are a rare bright spot.Airbnb told investors in May that the World Cup was on track to become its biggest event ever. Data from short-term rental analytics firm AirDNA shows that bookings, particularly for budget and low-cost rentals, are rising in host cities including Boston and Los Angeles.
Average daily rates booked for rentals in those. host cities were $218, while travelers looking now would pay about $335 starting June 8, AirDNA said, as hosts raise prices to capture last-minute demand.
"There is a lot more leisure demand in all of these cities because of the World Cup. This is undeniable," said Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA.

Source: G1