Hotel bookings are said to be lower than anticipated in a number of the FIFA World Cup 2026 venues, including in Los Angeles, despite very strong ticket sales for the tournament.
Five million tickets have already been sold for the World Cup finals, which kick off in the USA, Mexico and Canada in just over one month, yet the American Hotel & Lodging Association has released a new report saying nearly 80% of hotels asked believe that occupancy levels will be lower than predicted due to the tournament.
In the host city of Los Angeles, the figures reveal that just over 65% of hotels have already fallen short of the demand for bookings, and one report claims bookings have fallen lower than expected for summertime.
The blame for the potential shortcomings was placed on FIFA’s booking policies by a recent AHLA report, which included the booking and canceling of thousands of rooms as part of an “artificial demand.” FIFA disputes the report, saying rooms are released to hotel partners at times previously agreed upon.
Factors blamed include inflated airfare, the increase in fuel prices as a result of instability in Iran, issues with acquiring visas, along with overall global geopolitical events influencing travel and tourism.
However, regardless of potential hotel shortfalls, FIFA anticipates income of between 11 and 13 billion dollars from the latest tournament, and believes tourism numbers will be higher in locations more central to the tournament’s start dates, with matches like the Final being held at MetLife Stadium drawing high numbers from all over the globe.
