Hotels have a big World Cup problem: Bookings are running far below projections - NPR

General view of Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, Missouri, which will be hosting some of the World Cup matches this summer. Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America hide caption With only six weeks to go before the start of the World Cup, hotels at most of the cities hosting the tournament are facing a major problem: Bookings are running far below what they had expected. 2026 World Cup: North America These fans are boycotting the World Cup. Will they make it a bust? For some metro areas such as Kansas City, bookings are running even below what a typical June or July would bring, according to an industry survey released on Monday by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The report was conducted last month and a spokesperson said it's based on 205 respondents "representing hotel operators and owners, many of whom own multiple hotel portfolios across the country and across multiple World Cup markets." AHLA said the disappointing bookings stem from fewer than expected international travelers and large cancellations by FIFA — the organizer of the World Cup — leaving hotels with an unexpectedly large number of empty rooms. "Despite more than 5 million tickets sold (for World Cup matches), this demand has not yet translated into strong hotel bookings," the AHLA said in the report. The disappointment comes after the hotel industry was bracing for a strong summer in 2026. The World Cup is taking place across the U.S., Canada and Mexico — with 11 U.S. cities hosting games. In addition, the U.S. is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was also expected to bring an influx of foreign visitors. 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics How do Olympians like Eileen Gu earn $23 million? Here are all the ways Overseas visitors are critical to the hotel industry, the AHLA says, because they tend to spend more — and stay longer. But the AHLA warned nearly 80% of hotel bookings across host cities are running below initial forecasts, according to its survey. In Kansas City, 85% to 90% of hotels reported bookings below projections. World Cup organizers in Kansas City pushed back to the survey, telling The Athletic that embassy staff in countries such as the Netherlands are deploying additional staff to the city in anticipation of a high number of visitors. An tournament organizers in the city still stand by their ambitious projection to attract 650,000 visitors over the course of the World Cup, CEO of Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission, Kathy Nelson, told KCUR in an interview. KC26, the host committee, did not immediately reply to a request for comment from NPR. There were bright spots, however, for host cities Miami and Atlanta. About half of survey respondents in the capital of Georgia reported bookings in line or ahead of projections, while about 55% of respondents in Florida's biggest metro city reporting stronger-than-expected projections. Japan supporters celebrate after their team beat Spain at a 2022 World Cup game held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 1, 2022. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption The survey results appear to be another sign that overseas travelers are not planning to come to the U.S. in the numbers once expected as a result of a slew of factors including tighter immigration policies by the U.S. administration. "Even with global anticipation building, the path to the U.S. for many World Cup travelers feels increasingly less like a red-carpet welcome," the AHLA said in its survey. "There is a perception that international travelers may face lengthy visa wait times, increased visa fees, and lingering uncertainty around entry processing." Immigration Stuck in limbo: millions of professionals risk losing legal status under Trump pause The AHLA also cited other factors such as the strong U.S. dollar and concerns about airport screening as "contributing to a growing sense that visiting the U.S. for the World Cup may be more complicated and costly." FIFA has continued to tout the "unprecedented" demand for the tournament, and has said it expects the World Cup to break attendance records. Meanwhile, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told NPR last week for a story on World Cup demand that the tournament "will no doubt be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind," and that "President Trump is focused on ensuring that this is not only an incredible experience for all fans and visitors, but also the safest and most secure in history."