U.S. Hotels Brace for Potential World Cup Economic Bust

Lagging bookings less than three months before the tournament have the industry concerned about a muted tourism boost.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 9:38pm

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With economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and a sustained decline in international visitation, U.S. hotels are growing increasingly nervous that the substantial World Cup boost they were promised may not materialize. Industry analysts are projecting only modest increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) during the tournament, well below the boost seen when the U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994.

Why it matters

The World Cup represents a major economic opportunity for U.S. host cities and the hotel industry, but lagging international bookings and concerns about the visa application process could dampen the anticipated tourism surge. This raises questions about whether the tournament will deliver the promised economic windfall.

The details

According to data from industry benchmarking firm CoStar, lodging demand in the U.S. during the World Cup is expected to boost RevPAR nationally by only 1.2% in June and 1.5% in July - a noticeable downgrade from earlier forecasts. Hotel executives have reported 'very lackluster' demand for reserved room blocks, with FIFA returning some blocks without a single reservation. Some host cities are also scaling back or eliminating fan festivals, which have historically drawn large crowds of international fans.

  • The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 27.
  • The group stage of the tournament runs from June 11 to June 27.
  • The knockout stage begins on June 28.

The players

CoStar

The industry's leading benchmarking and analytics firm.

Chantal Wu

A senior director of hospitality market analytics at CoStar.

Harry Carr

Senior vice president of commercial optimization at Pivot Hotels & Resorts.

Lior Sekler

Chief commercial officer at HRI Lodging.

Alan Fyall

Professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

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What they’re saying

“We are seeing much more muted optimism about the hotel results' ahead of the World Cup.”

— Jan Freitag, National director of hospitality market analytics at CoStar

“I would be surprised if there's a big influx of international fans at the last minute this time. It's not so easy to get here at the last minute, the way everything is now.”

— Alan Fyall

“When you have visitors asking legitimate questions about what their experience will be coming through customs and immigration … those are big impediments to optimizing what should be a home run opportunity for the lodging industry.”

— Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The muted hotel booking projections for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. raise concerns about the tournament's potential economic impact, highlighting the challenges of attracting international visitors amid ongoing travel barriers and economic uncertainty.