US tourism expected to score big with FIFA World Cup
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A sign promoting the World Cup in 2026 is shown at a newly opened metro stop at Los Angeles International Airport.
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LOS ANGELES – International tourism to the United States could get a much-needed boost from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a sluggish 2025, when visitors stayed away amid unease over President Donald Trump's trade policies and concerns about tougher border scrutiny.
Foreign visitation to the U.S. was down 4 per cent year to date through July, according to visa data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. Travel data company Tourism Economics projects a full-year decline of about 6.3 per cent in 2025.
That could reverse next year, when the world's biggest sporting event is expected to draw over a million visitors as it kicks off across 16 host cities in North America, 11 of which are in the US.
The World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, could account for roughly one in three additional foreign visitors to the US in 2026, Tourism Economics estimates.
Searches for flights and lodging around the tournament dates are up nearly 70 per cent from the same period in 2025, said Jaroslaw Grabczak, head of commercial product at Poland-based online travel agency eSky.
He also estimates that prices for stays could rise 30 per cent in the early days of the event, and as much as 60 per cent in the final few days of matches.
Projections from various sources put the number of foreign visitors anywhere between 1 million and 6 million. A joint report by FIFA and the World Trade Organization is also expecting international travelers to stay for an average 12 days, buy two tickets per person and spend about US$416 daily.
Airbnb expects about 232,000 guests to use its platform to book stays in US host cities, with each spending around US$142 per night, a survey commissioned by the vacation rental company shows.
But not every city will score equally.
The official draw on Dec 5 will set the match schedule and venues for key games, which will shape demand patterns across host cities, especially as some of the 48 teams have far larger followings than others.
Accounting for fan base size and historic visitation to events among other factors, matches involving England, France, Brazil, Argentina and Portugal are expected to generate above-average travel demand in host cities, Tourism Economics economist Laura Baxter said.
"If your city hosts one of these teams, expect heavy demand," said Sebastien Long, president of the Texas Short-Term Rental Association and chief executive officer of vacation rental firm Lodgeur.
"Fans travel even without tickets because they want to be where their team is and watch the match with other supporters, whether in a fan zone or a bar," he added.
Notably, nationals of 22 participating teams - including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico - do not qualify for the US Visa Waiver Program, which could deter travel among their fans.
However, President Trump has said that the US would expedite visas for foreign visitors with tickets to matches. REUTERS
