A new survey shows hotel bookings in the Dallas and Houston areas are running below forecasts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tempering earlier predictions of a major economic boost from international visitors as the tournament opens in June.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association released the report Monday, finding that 70 percent of hoteliers in the Dallas and Houston regions reported booking paces below World Cup expectations and roughly in line with a typical June or July. FIFA canceled hotel block reservations in Dallas and Arlington earlier this year, exposing softer demand less than 40 days before the first matches.
Nine games will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and seven at NRG Stadium in Houston. While local officials say ticket sales remain strong and expect sellouts, much of that demand appears domestic. Factors cited include higher ticket prices than the 2022 and 2018 tournaments, lengthy visa wait times, increased fees and broader anti-American sentiment tied to geopolitical uncertainty.
Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau President Brent DeRaad noted economic headwinds and international sentiments may be keeping some fans away. University of North Texas sports management professor Bob Heere said FIFA’s economic impact estimates could be inflated without a surge in international visitors, since local spending does not add new dollars to the regional economy.
Houston organizers remain more optimistic. Houston First Corporation reports hotel bookings up year-over-year for June and July, with international air bookings up 33 percent in June. Short-term rental bookings in the Houston area are up 53 percent from last year.
Across the 11 U.S. host cities, about 70 percent of FIFA’s group hotel blocks have been released. The tournament is expected to draw more than 1.2 million international visitors nationwide, according to Tourism Economics, but recovery from last year’s U.S. tourism decline remains slower than hoped.
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