2026 World Cup: empty rooms and FIFA cancellations – American hoteliers worried

The 2026 World Cup was expected to generate a major tourist influx to the United States. Less than a month before kickoff (June 11), a report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) calls these forecasts into question: reservations are “significantly lower” than expectations in almost all host cities, warns the hotel association.

The AHLA, which represents more than 32,000 establishments and more than 80% of franchised hotels in the United States, points the finger at Fifa's reservation policy. According to the report, the world body would have massively reserved blocks of rooms for its needs, which would have “manufactured artificial demand” and led to an increase in prices. Once a large number of these rooms are canceled, hotels find themselves faced with a supply gap, the association says.

Fifa disputed these accusations in a press release, ensuring that it respected the agreements made with the hotel chains. “All room releases were carried out in accordance with contractual deadlines agreed with our hotel partners – standard practice for an event of this scale,” a FIFA spokesperson said, adding that adjustments were often made in advance to meet hotel requests.

Beyond reservation issues, other factors weigh on demand: high ticket prices, local transport costs and taxes, and political climate may have deterred visitors. The AHLA recalls that hotels had prepared for the event for years and made “significant investments” based on official projections.

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However, the expected economic impact was significant: a study commissioned by Fifa last year estimated that the World Cup could create 185,000 jobs and generate $17.2 billion in gross domestic product in the United States. Hoteliers were banking in particular on the arrival of numerous international supporters, who stay longer and spend more; The AHLA warns: the decline in the number of foreign fans “threatens the overall economic impact”.

The association specifies that in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle, up to 70% of the rooms reserved by Fifa have been canceled. Prices, which climbed after the drawing, have seen a gradual decline – around 20% drop in recent weeks according to observations – but still remain high in certain cities: in Boston, a hotel night still exceeds $300 in many establishments.

Among the supporters, some are adapting their plans. Chris Hancock, an English fan present at several World Cups, explains that his group is traveling on a tight accommodation budget (around $75 per person per night) and plans to stay outside city centers, 45 minutes to an hour from the stadiums, by combining hotels and private rentals.

The AHLA nevertheless wants to be cautiously optimistic: the association “expects a strengthening of occupancy rates in June and July”, arguing that many fans are waiting for confirmation of tickets and schedules to finalize their reservations. Airbnb, for its part, claims that this event is on track to become the “largest hospitality event” in its history, surpassing the Paris 2024 Games.

For hoteliers, the most favorable scenario would be an increase in demand during the knockout stages, which will force fans to book at the last minute. But at this stage, everything suggests that the 2026 World Cup will bring in less than the initial optimistic forecasts.