8 in 10 Host-City Hotels Report Weak World Cup Demand as Tickets Reach $32,970

11 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 15

Eight in 10 hotels in World Cup host cities are seeing demand below expectations, the American Hotel and Lodging Association said, with many properties tracking under last summer rather than toward a sellout surge.
Houston's Wanderstay Boutique Hotel is only 45% full for the tournament period versus 70% a year earlier, and hotel operators in Kansas City and Atlanta also said bookings remain flat or weaker than hoped.
Owners blamed a mix of factors: FIFA ticket prices that run up to $32,970 for the final, higher living costs linked to the Iran war, and a U.S. political climate that includes immigration raids and visa concerns.
FIFA said demand is still "unprecedented" and more than 5 million tickets have been sold, while some hoteliers and Airbnb expect a late pickup once fans know where their teams will play.
The soft hotel demand is testing assumptions that the tournament would deliver an immediate local tourism windfall, even as cities and businesses keep investing in fan zones, themed events and other World Cup promotions.

As record ticket prices meet empty hotel rooms, has the World Cup become an event only the rich can attend?

With hotels empty and Airbnbs full, is the World Cup a hospitality crisis or a travel revolution?