Overview
- The American Hotel & Lodging Association survey, released Monday, found about 80% of hotels in the 11 U.S. host cities tracking below initial forecasts just weeks before kickoff.
- Hoteliers point to long visa waits, stricter entry reviews, high airfares and a strong dollar reducing international travel, which shifts spending toward domestic fans who typically book fewer nights.
- FIFA pre‑reserved large blocks of rooms then released a significant share, a move hotels say signaled demand that later vanished, while FIFA says such releases follow contracts and notes more than five million tickets sold.
- Broadcast rights for major Asian markets including India and China remain unresolved close to the tournament, with late‑night local start times weakening ad sales prospects, and FIFA saying talks in a few markets continue.
- Kansas City reports the steepest shortfall and other cities like Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle also lag projections, while Atlanta and Miami look steadier and new local taxes or higher transport fares could further curb trips.