With just a few weeks before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new report warns that the expected World Cup hotel boom in the US may fall well short of expectations, with some cities reporting weak demand.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association released its FIFA World Cup 2026 Hotel Outlook earlier in May, highlighting some of the challenges the hotel industry is facing ahead of the soccer showpiece.

The report, which surveyed hoteliers across US host cities, found that anticipated demand has not translated into strong hotel bookings and that domestic travellers are outpacing international visitors.

FIFA room block cancellations, international travel barriers, and rising costs have been identified as key drivers of softened hotel demand.

Key findings from the report include:

• 80% of respondents say hotel bookings are tracking below initial forecasts.
• 65 – 70% of respondents across markets say visa barriers and broader geopolitical concerns are significantly suppressing international demand. These factors consistently rank as the top constraint on World Cup-driven travel.
• FIFA room block overcommitment created an artificial early demand signal that has since recalibrated, with roughly half of respondents in host markets reporting material room block releases.
• Only a limited subset of markets – those with strong baseline leisure demand or confirmed team base camps – are seeing meaningful incremental uplift, representing roughly 25 – 30% of respondents overall.

The Association says hotels have spent years preparing for the World Cup, but a range of factors have tempered early optimism.

They say the US and FIFA must ensure a welcoming and seamless experience for international travellers.

That means avoiding unnecessary cost increases on visas and transportation to and from the games, and discouraging local jurisdictions from adding last-minute tax hikes that hurt the games and consumers.

The report drew on survey data from hoteliers across 11 host markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Some respondents have described the tournament as a “non-event” due to FIFA room releases and weak international fan travel.