World Cup Failed To Drive U.S. Tourism Boom

On Aug 13, 2026

Topline

The FIFA World Cup failed to bring more international travelers to the U.S. this summer than last year, according to data from the Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).

International visitors did not come in large enough numbers to reverse the U.S.’s tourism slump. (Photo by Alex Slitz)

Getty Images

Key Facts

The number of international visitors to the U.S. declined 3% in July compared to July 2025, according to NTTO data released Thursday.

Overseas visitor arrivals were down 1.8% in June year-over-year, following a 3.4% decline in June last year.

The U.S. saw roughly 400,000 fewer foreign arrivals in June than the same month last year, according to I-92 reports from NTTO.

CONTRA

International visitors spent roughly $400 million more in June on travel-related goods and services—including food, lodging, recreation and entertainment—compared to June 2025. Fares received by U.S. airlines from international visitors totaled $2.8 billion in June, an increase of less than one half of one percent when compared to June 2025.

Crucial Quote

“It was an excellent TV tournament,” Alan Fyall, associate dean at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, told Forbes. “I think you could probably argue that the World Cup may not have taken the U.S. into new territory, but it probably prevented the international numbers from being even worse.”

The World Cup Underdelivered On International Tourists

A year ago, beleaguered FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised an economic boon equal to “104 Super Bowls.” The tourism industry had hoped the World Cup would reverse last year’s 4% drop in international arrivals, which made the U.S. “the only major nation in the world to see a decline in travel,” U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman noted at the 2026 Americas Lodging Investment Summit in January. A FIFA analysis predicted the World Cup would inject $30.5 billion into the U.S. economy—but its calculation counted on a huge influx of international fans, who spend up to five times more per person than U.S.-based fans. Based on NTTO data, that influx did not materialize.

Hotel Chains Were World Cup Winners

Major hotel corporations reported a revenue boost in host cities during the World Cup. This week, Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, called the tournament a “great success commercially” for his company. But industry analysts say the lift was primarily due to significant rate increases, not because hotels were full. “The data is clear. It was a room rate event rather than an occupancy event,” Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality market analytics at CoStar, told Forbes. “I think hoteliers were kind of hoping for a bit more international inbound than what came to pass.” Instead, many hotel rooms were booked through deep-pocketed corporate accounts. “When we look at the acceleration in luxury and upscale hotel room rates in those markets on game nights, I think it’s clear that not everybody who stayed in the room paid for it themselves,” Freitag said.

Big Number

$9 billion. That’s how much FIFA hauled in revenue from the tournament, according to an analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence.